


Making the sun shine brighter

by Pitmore



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, F/M, Grief, I always imagined Polly as a nursing student so if she seems really young yeah she's like early 20s, I took creative liberties but it doesn't go ooc at any point, I tried my best to sound american, I'm a brit it doesn't come easy, Mild Angst, Suicide reference, Swearing, Trauma, nsfw references, post true ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:36:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28967697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pitmore/pseuds/Pitmore
Summary: Kel, Hero, Aubrey and Basil have all been coping with the truth in different ways. Polly since finished her nursing course but was employed to care for Basil whilst his parents were away, and when she eventually got indoctrinated into the group, everyone was ready to put a lid on it, and to move forward, together and stronger. But this pain isn't something you can just run away from.
Relationships: Aubrey/Sunny (OMORI)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 209





	1. Kel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire story came to me in a prophetic vision at 5am  
> It started off as just "hey man wouldn't it be funny if like... Kel's character was explored more??" and now I have a 7 chapter long plan god help me please.  
> Shoutout to the 25k fanfic for inspiring me to ACTUALLY write something. I'm a creative writing student, you'd think I'd be able to.

Kel and Basil had grown surprisingly close since the truth came out. At first, Basil relied on Kel, of sorts, to make sure he didn’t hide away and never contact them. Sunny had clearly rubbed off on Kel, as loud as he was, he knew how to listen. Listen to Basil ramble about plants. About lighting. About journalism. About Sunny. About Mari. About seeing things. But over time they became equal the two were people-dependant, and they found themselves dependant on each other. Then, this summer Basil became head of plants at fix-it.  
Kel hadn’t been out the house in a while, and the warm air smelled so clean. He missed Basil. He knew he couldn’t solve Kel’s conundrum but being around someone felt good. Kel’s knuckles rapped against the lightly flaking green paint of Basil’s door. He heard the familiar scuffle of around seven excited dogs, as well as the sharp orders of the alpha: Polly.

“Oh hi Kel! How’s everything?” She asked. Since she finished her placement year at college, Kel had seen Polly a lot less. When she eventually came back with a less harried look and longer hair, and more importantly, time for everyone, she was a much needed presence.

“Hi Polly! I just checked by to see if you and Basil were still good for tonight! Everyone’ll be there! I’m sure Sunny misses you!” Kel responded as Polly sternly instructed an Alsatian which was moments away from cocking its leg against Kel.

“Oh, I’m still free, yes, Basil went out this- **RUFUS!** ” The daschound bounded inside quickly, “Basil went out this morning though, I still haven’t seen him… And I assume its him you’re more worried about?”

“Yeah, it’s a bit trickier for him… Do you know where he went?”

“No idea, maybe up by the plaza? He hasn’t been able to properly explore the mall since it opened because of Fix-It.”

“I’ll have a look around. Thanks! How are the dogs?”

Polly simply laughed. “They’re good… for the most part. They keep me occupied, and they keep Basil happy. It’s a shame I can’t keep this up forever!”

“Hey! We can find a way! I’m sure!” Kel said, wishing desperately that Polly could stay a dog-sitter forever.

“Well… Basil’s parents aren’t going to keep me around- **JOSH**.” A German shepherd made a mad dash back into the house. “Keep me around forever, and unless I’m dog sitting for royalty, I doubt I could afford enough.”

“You’ll stay close, though, right?”

“I’m already trying to score jobs at St Mary’s.”

“Good! I’m not letting you ditch us! Unless you form a long-distance relationship with another member of our friendship group who can’t escape as easily and conveniently…”

Polly laughed harder at that. “How are Sunny and Aubrey doing? Weathering the trials?”

“I don’t really know… I haven’t talked to them in a while now.”

“Well, it sounds like your idea to meet tomorrow night is a good one then.”

“Yeah, I hope so! Alright, I’m gonna search for Basil, I’ll see you later, alright?”

“Alright, bye Kel- SANDY GET IN HERE NOW! IN. _IN_ …. Good girl…”

Kel walked away a bit faster.

Ever since Othermart bloated up and swallowed Giornio’s, Fix-It, and Hobbeez the plaza felt bigger than ever. It was a welcome addition though, bringing services that poor Hero just missed going to college, like a proper bar and a McDonalds. Kel walked through the sliding doors and past the fake plants, oogling the strange, exotic, and definitely unaffordable brands. He poked his head through Fix-It, in case Basil got pulled in at the last minute but found no-one.  
Kel was always surprised at how many people were in the mall, from what seemed to be a small suburb, but then again, the world seemed a lot smaller when his friends were around. He supposed a part of that was growing up, everyone had to oirganise their time, prioritise the important things and the important people. It sucked that Kel hadn’t seen anyone in two months. But he got it. Lost in his own head as he walked around the new Nordstrom, Kel was abruptly stopped.

“Hey! Beanpole! Watch it would you?” He looked down to see Kim, glowering at him behind her square glasses. She hadn’t grown an inch taller than the first time he ran into her, but she made up for that with her loud mouth and the bright blues and reds she’d wear.

“Oh! Kim! Hi!” Kel replied, still slightly disoriented. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad, how about yourself?” She asked, cracking him a rough smile behind her undercut, “Don’t often see you lost in thought… or in clothes stores.”

Kel laughed, not really clocking where he was until then. “Well… I’m actually looking for Basil, you haven’t seen him, have you?” He asked, scanning over the seemingly endless clothes racks. Nothing, no blond hair, no pink flower, just blond cardigans and pink shirts. Kim thought for a moment.

“No, I don’t think so, but Aubrey might’ve. She’s in the changing room now, you wanna join me? It’ll make waiting less boring as she tries on her 80 different skirts and 500 different tops…”

“Sure! Aubrey is a fashionista now?”

“I’m kidding… mostly. But she has been taking forever in there, what do you think she’s doing?” Kim asked, a devious flair to her voice,

“Probably trying on her clothes…” Kel trod carefully,

“Do you think she’s taking pictures?”

“Probably…”

Do you think she’s taking _pictures for Sunny_?” Kim teased, leaning forward in a dramatic Thinker’s Pose.

Kel stuck his tongue out in disgust, even thinking about it for a second. “Augh I would rather not think of that, thanks Kim… I couldn’t really imagine it happening.”

“Really? Not with Aubrey?”

“Not with Sunny,” Kel elaborated, raising an eyebrow, causing Kim to giggle.

“God, imagine his reaction!” Kim said through bubbles of laughter, which were quickly contagious.

“He’d be sweating!”

“Tangible fear!!!”

“Well, glad to see you’ve found a friend, Kim.” Aubrey’s stern voice rang out over the two as they laughed with their backs against each other. Her presence made the two stop laughing for a moment and give each other a side-eye, which only caused them to burst out laughing again. “What’re you laughing about?”

“You really don’t wanna know…” Kel sniffled, his voice high and warbling.

“Yeah he’s right Aubs…” Kim backed him up.

“Whatever… what’re you doing in here anyway Kel?”

“oh! Right!” Kel said, scrambling up, “I’m looking for Basil, have you seen him anywhere?”

“Uh, no… Hold on let me text him.” She said, pulling out a (to the best of Kel’s knowledge) brand new Blackberry.

“Basil has a phone? _You have a phone?!_ ” Kel asked incredulously.

“Uh, yeah, do you not?” Kim asked, giving him an odd look.

“I mean—yeah, but I don’t have friends on it! Just like… mum, dad and Hero.” He explained, sheepishly pulling out a Nokia.

“C’mon, lets change that.” Kim said, plucking Kel’s Nokia from his hand and slamming its buttons.

“Hey! Careful, its fragile…” Kel tried to warn but Kim’s fingers could’ve been smoking for how quick they moved.

“Done!” Kim said, smiling, seeing a text on Kel’s phone.

Kel >>> Kim  
Friday 3:22pm

Kel: Hey hot stuff

“Kim!” he protested to Kim’s amusement. “What?” she asked, “you didn’t write it!” “Flustered Kel,” Aubrey said, grinning, “that’s a new one. Anyways, gimme that,” before once again, Kel’s phone was plucked from his distracted grasp. One hammering of his precious keyboard later, she handed him his phone back. One new contact, ‘Aubrey’ with a simple text ‘test’. “Basil’ll text you when he looks at his phone next, but you know how the signal is, and how he is, so I’d still keep an eye out anyway. We’ll keep an eye out here, maybe try the park?” “Will do, thanks guys! You’re the best,” Kel said, throwing one arm around a stiff Aubrey’s shoulders and using the other to accidentally clothesline Kim right in the temple. “Augh, nevermind, if you hug like that I take back the flirting, Kel.” “The what?” “Ignore her. See you later Kel.” Aubrey said, dragging Kim with her. 

Faraway Park had stayed the same, which Kel appreciated. It felt weird, being the one to tread carefully as a group of kids chased a poor cat around the different obstacles. The basketball court had taken some wear and tear, he could see the slightly raised tarmac beginning to crumble at the corners. The hoop and ancient metal backing was rusted, and it wouldn’t be long before it was all gone.  
Kel still remembered the day at practise after school. He was on his A-Game, he moved like the wind, he saw everyone and where they were going to be, and he shot hoop after hoop after hoop after hoop… After the game, exhausted, he poured a bottle of water over himself and crashed on the ground. A man in a waistcoat and bowlerhat came up to him, handed him a card. ‘David Beryll’ it had at the top, ‘TALENT COACH: SPORTS’ it had in the middle, ‘Innerstate University’ It had at the bottom. Kel was aghast, someone noticed him! Someone really important noticed him! Innerstate only accepted sports degrees from scouted students! He remembered babbling his thanks to the man and sprinting back home, he bursted through the door shouting. His mothers aggressive reaction quickly transformed into joy as she realised what it meant to him, and without a second thought, his mum and dad gave him 100% of their support.  
He hadn’t heared from David in three months, and application deadlines were quickly approaching. The hoop was rusted, the tarmac covered with weeds. Much like Kel, the court had become old. Unused. Untalented.

“Kel… What’re you doing here? …Kel?”

“Oh, huh? What?” Kel responded, looking around hurriedly.

“You’ve been staring off into space for a while there. Everything good?” Hero asked. His older brother was dressed simply in a blue pullover on top of a white-collar shirt with jeans. He carried a paper bag Kel could see carrots and broccoli poking out.

“Yeah! I’m good!” Kel said, mustering up what energy he had into a grin, but Hero saw right through it.

“Kel…” he said, his voice annoyingly soft and caring.

Kel sighed and walked over to a nearby tree, sitting down against. “I’m just thinking about David again. There’s no chance he could send me an application now. I can tell mum and dad are really disappointed with the whole situation, even if they won’t tell me. I think its back on track with the original plan…”

Hero sat beside him and looked up, unsure of what to say. “When I first started working to be a doctor, I didn’t really take to it well. There’s a lot of talk of death which was… helpful, after it wasn’t. It took some time, but helping people, even knowing how medicine and the body works, its all really engaging. We all have to do stuff we don’t enjoy, Kel, but the real test is finding your enjoyment in it, and I know you’re the foremost expert on that.”

“I know it’s just… I feel like I’ve let so many people down, you know? I was gonna be Kel, The Basketball Star, now I’m just Kel, The Guy. I feel like I’ve lost the opportunity to do something meaningful with what talent I had.” Hero sat back and looked up, realisation glimmering in his eyes. “What’s up, Hero?”

Hero didn’t respond immediately, he threw his arm around his younger brother and brought him in for a side hug. “How long have you been feeling this?”

Kel looked down, confused. Confused by the regret his brother was showing, confused by the tears that began to prick his eyes. “I dunno… 6 weeks? Two months? Why?”

“When M- When everything happened, and I locked myself in my room. It started off about Mari, about not being able to save her. But it grew. Into me. Into my own abilities, how I was useless. And I had nothing to tell me otherwise. I would go to school. Study. Go home. Study more. I’d try and prove that I was worth it, but my real worth could only be seen around other people.”

“Yeah… I get that. I haven’t seen anyone in ages. I’ve just been at home all the time, and…” Kel trailed off, biting his tongue.

“And it’s hard to be at home all the time, especially with me.” Hero finished.

“Not in a bad way! I’m super glad you’re home Hero, really.”

“No, I get it. And… for what it’s worth, I think you’re the best brother I could ever dream of, given the number of times you’ve had to take care of me.”

“Don’t say that, Hero! We take care of each other!”

“Which proves you’re not untalented!” Hero bit back playfully. Kel began to feel the anger of rivalry warm him up as he tried to think of a witty response – nothing. “Talk to people, Kel. Don’t lock yourself away. I’m here. So is mum and dad, and they aren’t disappointed in you. They’re just disappointed in the situation, you did everything right. You have amazing friends around you-“

“Friends who I haven’t seen in months.”

“So talk to them! Remember, you’re the guy who got us all back together. Who gave Sunny and Basil the courage to talk. Don’t lose that, Kel.”

“Okay…” Kel appreciated the warmth, he really did, but it just turned into cold, heavy treacle in his chest. Hero and Kel were brothers, but they weren’t the same. Hero didn’t know that.

“…Anyway, you never answered my question. Why are you here?”

“Oh! I completely forgot! Have you seen Basil recently?”

“Yeah, I passed him walking up here, he came out of the park and headed down, Aubrey’s side of the main road. He was carrying roses if I remember correctly. Why?”

“I wanted to check he’d still be up for tomorrow. It’s our first meetup in god-knows and you know how he can be. You’re good for tomorrow right?”

Kel saw a brief bit of hesitation in Hero, but not enough to stop him from answering. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Even with Sunny there?”

“Even with Sunny there. Anyway,” Hero cut Kel off before he could pry further, gesturing to his bag of groceries, “dinner’s in an hour, so don’t get lost in Hobbeez again.”

“I won’t! Thanks!”

Kel knew exactly where Basil was. He wasn’t too familiar with church, the few times he had been he’d caused a ruckus, but he’d often visit behind the church. When everyone was struggling in the first year after Mari’s death, he’d be the one to keep her grave clean and stocked with flowers. As with graves over time, the flowers slowly start disappearing, and the moss started growing, as if Mari was ageing again. Today though, there was a fresh bouquet of light pink roses placed on her grave, placed by a man in a brown trenchcoat and a pink flower in his blond hair. Kel hung back, leaning against the back of the church, giving Basil some space, letting him finish whatever silent prayer or conversation he was having. As he eventually turned around, they immediately locked eyes.

“Oh, hi Kel! Sorry, did you want to speak to Mari too?” he asked as the two briefly hugged.

“Nah, I was looking for you!” Kel said, smiling, “Polly was slightly worried – she said you’d been out for a really long walk.”

“Ah… Right… I think I got lost with the time,” Basil said, pulling out his phone. “Oh, you have a phone now Kel? Aubrey texted me your number.”

“Yeah I’ve had mine for a while, but I didn’t think to check with you guys, I just had family numbers on there. When’d you get yours?”

“Oh, only a couple weeks ago, you remember when Aubrey invited us to the beach? I got it so it’d be easier for us to chat and arrange a time. It’s a shame you couldn’t make it, the hooligans were really funny.”

“Yeah…” Kel tried to remember why he couldn’t make it. He remembered feeling a hot pang of jealousy. The beach was always their thing. Aubrey, Sunny, Basil, Kel, Hero, and Mari. Damn. Hero was right, this had been going on for a while. “Next time, huh? What brought you all around town like this?”

“I’m just… having one of those days, y’know?” Basil replied meekly.

“Like… a wander-around day or a I-need-to-get-out day?”

“Uuh… I-need-to-get-out.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really, nothing to say. Just the same soup, different microwave, y’know?” Kel snorted out a laugh, remembering one of Sunny’s odd metaphors from last they chatted. Basil struggled a lot even after the truth came out. His psychosis didn’t die down straight away, and it left him feeling low frequently. Kel supposed that if he had frequent hallucinations when he was, like, 14, then he would’ve had his own issues.

“Yeah, too well… It’s gonna be super cool seeing Sunny again, I miss him a ton.”

“Ah, uh… Kel, I’m really sorry but Sunny isn’t going to be here tomorrow. He cancelled.”

_Boom._   
“What?” he asked. Basil said something. He sounded underwater. So did the trees. So did the birds. His heartbeat though, he heard that loud and clear.

“…Kel?”

Kel pulled his spirits back up. Desperately clinging to logic. _‘Sunny wouldn’t cancel without a good reason. The Sunny you know. Do you know him? Do you know Aubrey? Do you know Basil?’_   
“Man, that sucks. I haven’t seen him in so long.” Kel said, looking down. His chest was aching. “Why not?”

Basil looked down. “He didn’t say.” Kel understood, but it still felt unfair.

“Are you gonna still be good for tomorrow evening? Alcohol and the ditching of your best friend doesn’t mix too well.” Kel asked.

“I think I’ll be fine. I have to deal with these things at some point.”

“Yeah, just let me know if you see anything odd, I’ll spot you, alright?”

“… Spot… me?”

“It’s like when you’re in the gym and doing weights, you need someone to spot you to make sure your position isn’t gonna hurt you and also rescue you if it gets too heavy!”

“You lost me at ‘in the gym’” Basil replied, deadpan.

“Alright, anyway, do you wanna head home dude? Being drowned in dogs is a good way to keep me happy.”

Basil chuckled. “Yeah, that does sound quite nice, actually, and I am pretty tired.” He said as they made their way onto the road.

“I can imagine! Where did you go?”

“Uuh, I popped into the mall originally, had a real good look around everywhere. The place is nice! I kinda miss the quieter air, though. I went into fix-it to say hi to my boss. Turns out there’s been a roserot infection so I took the infected roses for Mari. Then I went to the park. I was feeling nostalgic so I went to the pond, I think I might’ve fell asleep for a bit, but I eventually woke up and headed out down to here.”

“Woah, you’ve been everywhere today!”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect to, but it brought me some good. I thought going out that there wasn’t enough going on, but it’s almost like it’s a whirlwind of nothing, like the substance of nothing. Going to the pond and going here. It brought me some peace.”

“Yeah,” Honestly, Kel didn’t get it. He doubted he ever would. But Basil didn’t need him to get it, he just needed him to listen.

“How’ve you been, Kel?”

The question felt a bit like a chop to the throat, but Kel steadied himself, and remembered what Hero told him. “Not… not the best.”

“Oh… what’s up?”

“Everyone... Everyone is growing up… and moving on. Aubrey is studying, Sunny is in the city. You’re at work, Hero’s at uni, and all of my friends are starting to leave for college, and it was cool! I thought I’d be doing the same, but the scout hasn’t gotten back to me. Mum and dad are back on the ‘law train’ but… I’d just feel unhappy there, doing that. I feel unhappy now. And no matter where I go, someone is more important.” He began speaking faster, on autopilot, trying to keep himself together, “Hero, Aubrey, Sunny. Someone has got something better going on than me. Everyone has phones, and they’re keeping in contact, but it feels like I’m being forgotten about. I keep having these worries like I did something wrong that no one wants to tell me and I thought they’d go away but they’ve just built up and grown and grown.” Kel didn’t feel the angry tears in his eyes until he felt his cheeks flush red. They’d both long since arrived at Basil’s house. They’d just been standing on the street. He turned to look at Basil, who looked surprised and worried, “Are… are you guys gonna leave?” he asked, his voice wobbling.

“Kel… of course not…” Basil said, walking forward slowly. As soon as he saw Kel begin to sob he reached forward and hugged him tightly.

“I… I’m sorry… I don’t know where this is coming from…”

“Don’t be. Not at all. You need dog treatment! Right now!” Basil said loudly, he heard Kel laugh through his tears.

And Kel had never seen such unified teamwork between canines than that day, when all 7 energised, recently fed but not yet walked dogs saw Kel crying, they practically bowled both him and Basil over through the door. Polly had one look at the boy and proceeded to make the best shepherds pie that he’d ever had. Kel never twigged why his mum or dad weren’t mad at him when he returned home late, or how they knew he was at Basil’s. But his parents knew that Kel was allowed to be sad, and Kel was allowed to be coddled and take the support. Hero knew that too, Hero knew that everyone deserved that care.  
But Hero was a hypocrite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure, I'm using this fic to experiment with genres and styles a TON, so if you're reading this for my style, thank you thats one of the best compliments you can give a writer, but also I'm so sorry.


	2. Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hero wakes up, completely blank on what happened the night out yesterday and only scraps to go off of. Feeling vulnerable and guilty, he searches out those who he drunkenly talked to to make heads and tails of what he did, and discovers that he and his mental state might not be as perfect as he wants to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The correlation between my comfortability with my work and the amount of swearing in it is a forward slash.  
> I did NOT plan for this to be almost triple the size of chapter one but hey, what can I say, I love Hero.  
> Any and all feedback is appreciated. Comments keep me going like nothing else!

Aubrey >>> Sunny  
Sunday 11:34PM

Aubrey: quick, rate these out of ten  
Aubrey sent a photo  
Sunny: 5  
Aubrey sent a photo  
Sunny: 8  
Aubrey sent a photo  
Sunny: 4  
Aubrey sent a photo  
Sunny: 7  
Aubrey sent a photo  
Sunny: 7  
Aubrey: you didn’t like 3?  
Sunny: Seeing you in a dress is different, but you look good in all of them  
Aubrey: Thanks babe  
Sunny: Don’t thank me for the truth  
Aubrey: Here’s a reward, what do you think of this out of 10? ;)  
Aubrey sent a photo  
Aubrey: …  
Aubrey: Sunny?

Hero woke up an hour ago, but the immense struggle to do as much as open his eyes kept him anchored in bed.  
_'Ugh.'_  
His head hurt. It felt too small for him. He wished his heart wouldn't beat this strongly, any more pressure and his brain might burst out of his ears.  


"Hero? You up yet?" Kel's voice felt intrusive and way too loud, but so did the creaking of the door when he opened it. All Hero could do was let out an unearthly groan and heave himself over to the other side of the bed. "C'mon dude!" Kel's obnoxious voice again, "It's like, 11! That's basically afternoon for you!"

Hero tried to slur out five more minutes but came out more like "Ferphmerher..."

"Alright, Kel your plan didn't work my turn-" '... Is that Aubr-'  
_Ptah!_

Cold water slapped Hero in his face and he reflexively threw up his arms. It was a good thing he did as seconds later the bedroom curtains were wrenched open and Hero lurched back and fell flat on his ass off the bed.

"What the fuck, Aubrey!?" Hero croaked, stumbling up using his bed for support.

"ooh, a Hero swear, that's rare!" She teased, grinning that malicious grin.

"ugh, my head is killing me..." he groaned, planting himself on his now fully wet bed.

"No shit," Aubrey said,

"Aubrey! My parents are downstairs!" Kel chided, "I'm surprised you're conscious given how much you drank last night, Hero." Hero's face scrunched in confusion. First a headache, now Aubrey is here, what day is it? Yesterday was ...  
_'Drank? Ooh no...'_

Aubrey's laugh indicated that, indeed, Hero's face fell like a missile. "Oh DUDE! Do you not remember?" She practically yelled.

"Aubrey please," Hero begged, "Shut up." 

"Sorry, sorry."

"KELSEY!" the shrill cry of Hero's mom made him physically wince. "FINISH YOUR WASHING! IS YOUR BROTHER AWAKE?"

"Yeah mom! I'm coming in a sec!" Kel called out the door. He looked back, chucking nervously. "Aubrey, do you mind taking care of Hero?"

"Sure man, good luck." She replied, already pushing Hero back into bed with one hand and closing his curtains with the other.

"Wha- I don't need looking after..." Hero protested, unable to fight off Aubrey's push.

"What is it with the Jennings family and trying to bullshit me recently? Just take some support, Hero."

"What happened last night?" Hero asked, scratching his eyes.

"We'll talk about that shitshow after you've eaten something. What do you want?" Hero knew better than to challenge Aubrey to a game of wills. He drew a deep sigh, winced at the pain, and laid back in bed. "...Coffee?" Aubrey prompted. Hero grimaced.

"Hell no, something bland." He slurred out.

"Water and Porridge, coming right up."

"So," Aubrey began once Hero had propped himself up against his bedframe, sipping porridge like an invalid. "...Whereabouts did you black out?" 

"I don't really know. I know I had to drag Kel away from his- out of his room, I got to yours, and then everything feels not quite real."

"Yeah, I mean, it's kind of my bad, I forgot to tell you that we were having pre's at mine and then going to Sheepshead's for the proper drinks, so you kinda got sorta wasted at mine? Like, not awfully, but you didn't wanna have anymore."

"And then I did?"

"Ten points to the scruffy-haired one. Basil, Polly, and Angel came a bit late. When they arrived, you grabbed another two and that was when you started to walk funny."

"oh no... Don't tell me I was 'that guy'..." Hero moaned, wanting to sink into his bed and never come out.

"Yeah, luckily it didn't bother most of us, Kel took care of you and we went to the bar ahead of you two. It took you like, twenty minutes to finally arrive but you sobered up a bit by that point,"

"Obviously not if I don't remember it."

"Well yeah you got hammered again right after, but at that point, Kim was pretty far gone, and we all discovered together that Basil can't hold his drink for shit, so Angel was on Basil duty."

"Angel? Why not Polly?" Hero asked, feeling a strange source of dread at the pit of his stomach. Aubrey tried to open her mouth, but she had to close it to fight off a grin. "Aubrey, what happened to Polly?" he asked, as stern as he could. Aubrey let out a small, filtered chuckle.

"Nothing bad! I mean... For her at least. She's okay!"

"For who then?"

"Well... Hero you're not gonna like this, you sure you wanna know right now?"

"Just tell me."

"Polly was busy dealing with you, incredibly drunk, might I add, flirting mercilessly with her."

That's it. Hero wanted to fold himself up infinitely until he was at a subatomic level and then just disappear from the world altogether. He let out a long, anguished groan and debated drowning himself in his porridge right there and then.  
Aubrey would probably save him.  
Goddamit.

"How... How obvious was it?"

"Kel noticed."

Yep. Death by porridge it is. It's been a good run.

"I mean, it's not the WORST person you could've flirted with. Kim would never let you live that down."

"Yeah but Polly? Basil's carer?"

"She's like, what, a year or two older than you?"

" _POLLY. BASIL'S CARER._ " he reiterated much to Aubrey's amusement.

"Yeah okay, its pretty bad."

"Why didn't you get me off her?"

"Oh we did, it took Charlie to pry you off, but we got there."

"Alright, alright, I don't think I wanna hear any more of that. Ugh. What's she gonna think of me?"

"Hopefully she drank enough to forget about it."

"I need to apologise."

"Yeah, you totally do."

"What… what happened after?” Hero was almost too afraid to ask.

“You went outside to sulk, but when Kel went out to find you, you weren’t there.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Turns out some … old admirers spotted you, you remember Mari’s old friendship group? You all headed to Giornio’s.”

“That place is still a bar?”

“Trust me, I was as surprised as you. Anyway you can’t say no when you’re sober, so there you are, looking a bit dazed but enjoying the conversation…” Aubrey paused for dramatic effect, “and the cuddling.”

“Argh!”

“I fished you out there before anyone saw, don’t worry. I said that Angel had walked Basil home and one mention of it and you were insistent on going home and doing it by yourself, at that point I was drunk and fed up so I said fuck it and made my way back to Sheepshead. Sorry, should’ve looked out a bit more there.”

“Somehow the fact you’re apologising for something so small compared to the havoc I caused makes the havoc I caused feel worse.”

“Yeah, that’s fair… you have your work cut out for you today. Luckily, it’s a Sunday!” She cheered, slapping his shoulder with way too much vigor, “You have time! But seriously man, you were a mess, is everything okay?” Aubrey changed the tone from her carefree, cool, slightly mean self to a gentler tone she reserved for close friends. Hero thought for a brief second.

“Yeah. I don’t know. I think I might’ve just been having one of those nights.” If he could have hand-waved, he would’ve.

“That’s one hell of a night. Has it happened at uni much?”

“Yeah, I just seem to be like that.” He lied.

“Wow Hero, you’ve always been so reliable, have we found a chink in your armor?” she teasingly asked. Hero offered up a weak laugh in response.

“Sure you have… did you find me here this morning?”

“Yeah, I crashed on the sofa.”

“Thanks for letting me know Aubrey. I appreciate it.”

“Yeah well, I got paperwork to get back to. And you really need a shower. So I’m gonna head out. Feel free to pop by mine when you’re on your apology spree!”

Hero sighed. “Will do, thanks again Aubrey.”

The next trial for Hero was to make it all the way to the bathroom…  
It took Hero considerable effort, but he got there. His whole body felt hot, so cooling it with lukewarm water helped him feel normal again, but it also exposed all of his aches and pains. He saw on the sides of his arms five red lines dragged from his shoulder to his elbow and he felt them sting. For a moment he thought the worse but… no, Aubrey would have certainly let him know if he brought someone home. Hero pushed through the pain, crawling out in his towel like Golum. By the time he was out the shower and had stared aimlessly at the ground for twenty minutes, he had pretty much air-dried, and one application of clothes and hair gel later and he was ready for the day. 

Kel >>> Hero  
Monday 12:03  
Kel: Hero what does a butternut squash look like?  
Hero: This is an automated response. I am currently busy. If this is urgent information, please type URGENT, otherwise I will get back to you as soon as possible.  
Kel: Urgent  
Hero: Fucker.

“How can you not know what a butternut squash is?” Hero asked, exasperated.

“I dunno man! I don’t do the cooking!! Plus mom sent me out with the ingredients, I didn’t get a choice!” Kel fruitlessly defended himself.

“Well, I’m meeting Polly this afternoon so as long as we don’t take long I’ll be fine.”

“I doubt it. How are you feeling anyway, dude?”

“Better,” Hero said through a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “much better, especially now we’re out.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. You made a quick recovery, all things considered.”

“Yeah… did I do anything stupid while you were taking me to the mall yesterday?” Hero asked as they approached the till, desperately hoping for a no.

“Well…” Kel started, his brow furrowed in uncomfortable thought.

“Oh god…”

“You kinda started crying? In the middle of our walk. Like real ugly crying. I was a bit scared for a second…” Kel explained has he handed a twenty-dollar bill over to the cashier.

“Was there anything I was crying about?” Hero asked.

“Yeah, you were telling me you were sorry for being a bad older brother. For being angry or sad you were, and how I always was in your shadow. You were going on and on about how crappy you were that night and how you shouldn’t be here… It was pretty heavy stuff, man.”

Hero was at a loss; alcohol is a depressant, you’re more likely to say what’s on your mind. He knew that much, but he didn’t think any of that… right? The two of them stopped to sit outside of the park on a bench. Hero knew that Kel sometimes got unfair treatment – They’d long buried that hatchet. But Kel had his friends too, and Hero knew he could take it, its what he always admired about Kel.

“Is everything good, Hero?” Kel asked “Like, in general?”

“Yeah… I…” Hero stammered, scratching the back of his head, “I think so? But if I’m acting like that… I don’t know. I’m sorry Kel, I didn’t want to put all that weight on your shoulders.”

“Dude, its fine, I just care—oh no.”

“Oh hey! It’s Hero!” A vaguely familiar voice cut through the air. The first woman, the one that just talked was the same age as Hero. She had long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, a plain white crop top with a quilted jacket slung over top, the other one was a brown skinned brunette with loose curls and perfectly manicured fingernails who wore a pinkish-burgundy shirt and black chinos, “How’ve you been?” the first one asked. For a horrifying second Hero couldn’t remember their names.

“Hi Traci! Hi Rosie! I’m alright… how about you?”

“Well, I’m doing fine…” Traci said as Rosie nodded along, “It was so nice to catch up with you yesterday, Hero! It’s been such a long time… we should totally hang out again! Y’know… grab a drink, have some fun… you could invite your uni friends!” Hero tried to focus on the girls and not the malicious heat radiating off Kel, but Traci noticed, and her eyes slithered over to Kel. “Oh hey Kelsey! How’ve you been? You’ve grown up so much! You used to be so cute…” she crooned from a distance, “I don’t think we’ve chatted since… well… you know… it was a rough time for everyone.” She sighed dramatically.

“Yeah.” Kel said with finality, “It was.”

Traci looked down innocently, curling her blond hair round her finger and grinding the tip of her shoe into the pavement. “It feels like its been so long! How’s Sunny, Kel? Do you still hang out with that… him?”

“Sunny’s doing fine, he’s in the city now.” Hero cautiously answered on Kel’s behalf.

“Aw... That’s good! Hey, Hero, you know… Rosie and Johnny are going out now, so he has so little time! You should come out with me and them! I know he misses you, and of course you miss him… We might grab a pizza at Giornio’s! You should come, it’ll be a double date…”

“Maybe… How’s your mum been, Traci? Is she still head of the PTA committee?” Hero asked, desperately avoiding the conversation.

“Eheheh… you know it, _Superhero_.”

Hero had never seen Kel move so quickly. He only stood up, but it was enough to make the entire conversation freeze. Hero got why he did it, though, one look at her devious eyes showed that Traci’s word usage was intentional. Hero stood up slowly. “Hey. Traci, Kel. Let’s just drop this. We have places to be-“

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” she protested, “I was just talking, he’s the one getting all aggressive.”

“You know exactly what you’re doing, Traci.” Kel’s voice was abnormally low, “Just… fuck off.”

Traci had the audacity to look like she was slapped in the face. “Fine! I will. But let me say this, Hero,” as she walked away, she turned to face him. “I expected you to be over it at least a bit by now. That amount of sadness is wasted on a face like yours,” she reached forward and tapped him on his jaw, biting her lip before pushed a thin strip of paper into Hero’s hands. Hero and Kel simply glared as she walked by, shoulder-checking Kel. “if you wanna be happy again, give me a call. We can grab a drink down at Sheepshead. On me.” And she was gone.

Rosie stayed put for just a second, “Sorry…” she murmured, before following suit.

“Ugh, what a bitch.” Kel said as soon as the two were out of earshot.

“Kel.” Hero warned.

“Its true though! They were purposefully winding you up!” Kel cried, “I don’t know how you could stay calm in that situation, calling you Supe- … that. No wonder Mari hated the-“

“KEL.” Hero’s voice cracked through the air like a whip, “not now. Please.”

Kel looked like he was at a genuine loss for words, he was teetering between angry and sad. “Sorry… I just… Ugh. You don’t think she was right, do you?” He looked at Hero with a face full of concern.

Hero pondered for a second.

“No. What they did was wrong. But I think I get it,” Hero laughed bitterly, “She’s angry. She was angry at Mari because of me, and now she’s angry at me because of Mari,” Hero could see the reply forming in Kel’s mouth, “-And what she said wasn’t okay, but… she has a point.” Hero looked at the girls now chatting by the fountain. Once his friends. he looked down to his phone; a new text from Polly.

Hero >>> Polly  
Monday, 12:34pm

Polly: Sure, Hero. Hobbeez at 3:30?

“I might not be as over Mari as I thought.”

Basil >>> Sunny  
Sunday: 1:26pm

Basil: Sunny… Am I a bad person? :(  
Sunny: Of course not, Basil, you know this.  
Basil: But… I feel bad… I feel like he’s watching me wherever I go in the house…  
Sunny: Have you told Polly you’re seeing things again?  
Basil: No… :(  
Sunny: Do that, it’s a good idea to give yourself support you can see.  
Sunny: Wait.  
Sunny: He?  
Basil: It’s Josh… he looks like he really wants his food :(((  
Sunny: Goddamit Basil I thought this was something serious  
Basil: !!  
Basil: It is!! Josh looks hungry!  
Basil: …  
Basil: Sunny?

Aubrey >>> Sunny  
Sunday: 2:43

Aubrey: …Sunny?

Hobbeez had changed since the days of Pet Rocks and Captain Spaceboy. It was more akin to a book shop with a heavy emphasis on nerd culture with a small café tucked into its corner. Hero made sure to make it there 10 minutes early, but Polly was already sat in a comfy café seat with her glasses on, reading a book. He brought over a large cinnamon cappuccino for her and a hot chocolate for himself.

“Hey there,” he said simply, hoping his voice didn’t betray his shame fuelled nerves. Polly looked up, surprised to see him.

“Oh! Sorry, hey there, how you feeling?” she asked, gratefully reaching over for her coffee.

“I’m alright, thank you, all things considered! I had a shower this morning, which really helped…” Hero took a breath but decided to bite the bullet, “Listen… Polly… I’m really sorry about yesterday, I acted… awfully, I’m sorry to put you through that.”

Polly simply laughed light-heartedly. “You weren’t that bad, Hero. You were very charming, honestly,”

“Still…”

“Do you remember much?”

“Almost nothing, Aubrey filled me in.”

“That’d explain it, I promise you, however bad Aubrey said you were, you weren’t. You know how she is. You were just… obvious.”

“I didn’t do anything TOO stupid, did I?”

“Absolutely not! Do you know the last time I was hit on by a dude who actually sounded interested in me? it’s a massive ego boost. But I feel like I should say, you’re very charming, but I don’t think I could see you as a boyfriend.”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way when I say likewise” Hero said, cracking a weak smile. It was strange, although he meant what he said, being turned down always felt like a tiny sting. Hero was glad Polly wasn’t upset or uncomfortable though. Ever since she was fully integrated into the group, her steadfast and well-intentioned nature as well as her level-headed maturity was an incredible balm on a freshly reopened wound. It was her who drove up to collect Sunny the first time he came back, and her who openly cared so deeply that it was infectious between the group. In a lot of ways, she reminded him of…

“Hero… I think you should know, a couple times during the night, you called me Mari.”

_Fuck._

Hero’s entire face fell. “oh god I’m… so sorry Polly, I don’t see you in that way at all-“

“It’s okay, I believe you. You were… very drunk. Some of my old roommates would have even said crunk…”

“Yeesh.” That was half at the phrase, and another half was at the _phrase_. But that thought, like acid burning through the sides of his head. Mari. He called her Mari. He struggled to say her name out loud. He still felt a twist every time he heard it.

“I thought you’d want to know. You know, grieving takes time… do you want to chat about it? I know I was never there and I never met her, but she seemed like an incredible young woman, and… no-one expects you to be fine…” Polly’s voice was far too kind, and her words were far too familiar.

“Thank you, Polly. Really. It’s gotten to that stage where talking doesn’t help, but I appreciate your support nonetheless.” He said, smiling as serenely as he could.

“I don’t think there’s ever a point where talking becomes a detriment,” Polly effortlessly countered. Hero wasn’t used to being on the back foot in conversations, he decided to admit defeat.

“You’re probably right. As and when the time comes, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you, take care of yourself, alright?”

“I will. Likewise, you joined us when we were grieving someone all over again, but you were so kind and supportive…” Hero took a breath, realising that… no… he’d never thanked Polly for her resilience and strength. Its so hard to think about the rest of the world when yours is caving in all over again,

“Thank you, Polly. Really, from the bottom of my heart. You put up with so much.”

“Hero. You were suffering, you all were. College trained me for this sort of pain, you know all the times I’ve spoken to you about working in hospitals! It was the least I could do…”

“Yeah, but you did it, and it meant a lot.”

“And I’ll keep on doing it, you hear?! I hope you get used to me asking how you’re coping because grief doesn’t go away. You just learn how to handle it. And for those of us who are lucky, we’re inspired to be happier and healthier because of it.” Polly always used “we” when talking about grief, but no-one knew why. Everyone knew that Polly’s wisdom, resilience, and charm came from more than just empathy.

“Actually…” Hero began with a shaky breath. He felt a waging in his stomach. One part of him was filled with tired frustration that fought against resigned melancholy. They warred like a volcano and a typhoon, but in the middle of all the ash and water, a small seed that Traci had planted began to grow.

“It’s… really tough, Polly. I think of her every day… But I think the worst part of it is that everyone knows that.”

“Yeah…” Polly replied softly, listening closely, “It’s hard to be ‘The One Suffering’, isn’t it?”

“People don’t say her name around me, but every time I hear it, I remember the wound, and how open it still feels. I hate being handled like that, but I don’t think I could go back to everyone acting like I’m fine…”

“Like you’re acting now?”

“Yeah… I guess. It feels like I’ve been lying to them, but they’re all in the loop and I’m just… tolerated. I don’t want to be tolerated, I don’t want to be coddled and sympathised with, I just…” Hero swallowed down a choked sob, “I want Mari back.”

"Yeah"

“I know but I want a way out! I keep looking for a path of least resistance and I can’t find any. I feel like I can’t walk anywhere.”

“Like you’re surrounded by walls?”

“Like I’m surrounded by bricked up doorways. All I have to do is take them down, but I only have my fists and my knuckles are so bloody.”

“I see…”

“How do you find any happiness in this, Polly? How can you find good here?”

Polly paused for a moment, thinking. “You don’t. You find out how far you’ve come after it all, and you realise all the good choices you made along the way. Good choices which at the time felt helpless or useless, and that’s where you pick up the good and see how far you made it. All this,” Polly gestured her arms wide, to the café, to Hobbeez, to the mall, “This contextualises things. When you get through it, you’ll know.”

Hero looked down and breathed a massive sigh, it felt like the biggest he’d ever managed. He felt an empty cavity in his stomach, like his chest was no longer bound by the truth, and felt it fill with cold, fresh air.

_The Truth.  
Sunny._

The thought of Sunny, of that pain brought a hot flush to his face, he felt tears quickly follow, but he plugged them by scratching his eyes.

“Are you alright?” Polly asked after a moment of silence.

“Yeah, I’m much better now. Thank you again, Polly.”

Basil >>> Aubrey  
Sunday: 5:33

Basil: Hey Aubrey!  
Aubrey: Hey Basil, what’s up?  
Aubrey: Actually, could you do me a favour? Can you tell Sunny something for me?  
Basil: I was wondering if you could do me a favour and tell Sunny something for me :D  
Aubrey: Fuck.  
Basil: Is he not speaking to you either? :/  
Aubrey: No what did you do?  
Basil: I think he got mad at me because I was falling for Josh’s puppy dog eyes and made it seem more severe than it was…  
Basil: How about you?  
Aubrey: I did  
Aubrey: The same! Actually!  
Basil: Woah that’s weird  
Aubrey: Yeah. Super weird.  
Aubrey: Anyway I have dinner good luck with Sunny!  
Basil: …  
Basil: Aubrey?

Hero was surprised to find Kel at Aubrey’s as he walked through the door.

“Oh hey Hero!” Kel called as he brushed a mound of dust into a corner.

“Hey Kel, what are you doing here?” Hero asked, closing the door behind him.

“I went to Basil’s but he wasn’t seeing anyone right now, so I popped over to Aubrey’s instead. I’m clearing up whilst she does some work.”

“That’s very considerate of you, Kel. Where’s Eve?”

“On a business trip according to Aubrey. Are you doing better, man? This afternoon was rough, sorry for getting… y’know.”

“I’m better, yeah,” Hero lied, “And don’t worry Kel, she was saying some pretty… inflammatory things.”

Kel simply frowned as he walked to the bottom of the stairs. “AUBREY!” he shouted, “HERO’S HERE!” Hero could hear a muffled response as he looked around at the sizeable progress Kel had made on the Livingroom.

“This is seriously impressive, Kel, how long did it take?”

“Heheh… well… I learn from the best!” Kel said, scratching the back of his head, “I’ve been here since you met up with Polly, we chatted for a bit but because Aubrey is studying so much for college right now she can’t really take care of things, so I’ve been helping out.”

“Kel stop scratching the back of your head.” Aubrey’s voice came from the stairs.

“Oh! Crap!” Kel quickly inspected his newly pink nails, “I think they’re dry now.”

“What inspired that?” Hero asked.

“I was bored. Plus, don’t you think pink looks good on me?!”

“Hero, look at this. Kel, turn around for a sec.”

“Sure, why’s that?” As Kel turned around Hero could see streaks of pink nail dye all down the back of Kel’s head.

“You see what I have to work with here?” Aubrey said exasperatedly, flicking Kel on the bridge of the nose.

“Glad to see you in high spirits, Aubrey.” Hero said through a smile.

“Glad to see that you can see out of both eyes,” she retorted as they bumped fists, “How was Polly?” she asked, throwing herself down on the sofa.

“She was really understanding, all things considered, it was good to chat with her.”

“Good!” Kel replied, now with a dustpan and brush in hand, but Aubrey’s piercing blue eyes were trained on Hero. She picked up her notebook and scribbled something down in it. “Oh yeah, Kel, can you text Sunny something for me?”

“No can do, sorry, he hasn’t responded to me since I asked him to describe the difference between a yam and a butternut squash.”

“You too, huh… oh yeah, my bike is broken at the moment, do you mind grabbing some stuff for me that I forgot?”

“Aubrey, dude, I love you. Get it your own damn self.”

Aubrey ripped the page out and held it up in the air, the writing facing away from Hero. “Just take a look, would you?”

Kel walked over in a huff remarkably similar to his mom’s and looked at the list. After a pause and a brief look at Hero, “Alright, sure, I won’t be too long.”

“What does that say?” Hero said with a tinge of worry.

“None of your business. Anyways, you’re up next on the manicure train,” she said, sitting up, “I think a dark blue will suit you well…” there was a bit too much deviousness in her voice for Hero’s comfort.

Aubrey firmly anchored Hero to the sofa before running upstairs, quickly returning with a cheap cardboard box of different nail polishes. Hero thought back to the last time he had his nails done like that, wincing when he realised it was with Traci. She chose orange. Aubrey vigorously shook the bottle, and began to get to work.

“Kel told me what happened at the park. He was pretty emotional, how about you?”

“Yeah it wasn’t nice. She called me Superhero.” He saw Aubrey wince at the word.

“That’s super shitty, I’m surprised Kel didn’t smack her right there and then.”

“He had half the mind to. God, Aubrey, I haven’t been called ‘superhero’… from, well, since Mari died.”

“And you went straight to Polly after the run-in?”

“Well, I took a walk to cool off first, but yeah, pretty much. I think Traci had a point though.”

“How so?”

“Did Kel tell you what she told me about as she walked away?”

“Just more flirting according to him.”

“She told me that ‘too much sadness is wasted on a face like mine’. I didn’t even realise how miserable I’ve been this entire time.”

“Yeah. I think after a while you just get used to it. It becomes your default state, you lose that energy and get that anger, and one day it just… is you. When I saw Sunny after four years, it was such a slap in the face. I only think I understood who I was then.”

“I think I had pretty much the same experience with Traci, though she was more direct.”

“Are you ready to deal with it, then?”

“I think so, yeah. I talked to Polly today, about everything. About Mari, about losing her, about everyone, about myself, it feels like I’ve finally breathed out for the first time in years.

“Yeah. I’m glad you finally talked to someone about it. It killed me to see you like that.”

“I know, and that only made it worse. Everyone knew. Everyone knew I was hiding, so was I actually? Are you hiding something if everyone knows where it is?”

“It’s crazy to think how well you dealt with it when it all went down, as opposed to me. Now it feels like the opposite. Now we know the truth… that’s when I really saw you break down.”

“Yeah. I think before. It was blameless, you know? Now I know the truth. I know it isn’t his fault, I know that he didn’t want it, but…”

“You’ll never be able to fully agree with that.”

“If Sunny didn’t do what he did, I’d be with the girl of my dreams still. But I don’t hate him! I don’t feel animosity, but I can’t stop thinking about it, just… blankly. Objectively.” Hero let out another massive sigh. Aubrey was nearly done, “God, now I’m talking about it, it feels like all this emotion held me up. It gave me structure and stability. I feel like I have a hole in my gut and I could just flop over on myself at a moments notice.”

Aubrey gave a small chuckle. “You’ve taken a crazy big step today just realising that. But now you’re not stuck in a gear anymore, you’re in neutral, and you’re rolling forward. God, I’m annoyed how much I want that positivity you and Kel have.”

“The Jennings genes… they’re just too good!”

“Heh, sure they are. There, done.” Hero held his fingers up to the light. Blue suited him, “What’s your next move? What’s your final goal in all this?” Aubrey asked, plonking herself down on the sofa next to him.

Hero thought for a second, “I think I want to visit Mari. Properly say goodbye. Tell her I love her one last time. Do you think I ever will?”

“I can’t say for certain that you will, but you know that you’ll have all of us behind you. We’re campaigning for your happiness. You don’t have to go through this alone anymore, Hero. You have us.”

And in true Kel style, with impeccable accidental timing, he marched through the door, holding a plastic bag in the crook of his elbow, a DVD case and player in one hand and a dog lead in the other.

“Its Hero-pampering time, baby!” he cried as Sandy, a corgi barrelled through the door. Kel dumped the plastic bag between the two so that Hero could see the three massive tubs of Twizzlers glittering back at him. Aubrey was promptly tackled by a corgi who gave no cares to her protests, and Kel dived behind Aubrey’s TV, shuffling wires around to connect the DVD player to it.

“Twizzlers! My favourite! Wait… Kel… what?” Is all Hero could push out.

“Less talking, more pillow-fort making!” Aubrey said, beginning to disassemble the sofa. Hero followed in a daze as he watched Kel load up Hero’s favourite movie: Stand by Me. Hardened from years of experience, the kids had the movie on, the lights dimmed, the snacks provided and the fort up in ten minutes. Undoubtedly record time. They set up the pillows and the duvet so the three of them laid down side-by-side like sardines, with Sandy on Hero’s lap, and before Hero felt like he could blink, he saw four boys walking on railway tracks.  
It only took an hour for Kel to drift off. Hero carefully and slowly pushed him off his shoulder and tucked him into bed, leaving Aubrey and him awake. “But… what about mom?” he murmured.

“Kel already talked to her when he went up to Othermall.”

“But… why this?”

“Because you needed it. When you need help, we’ll give it to you, like you deserve. It feels good when you accept it. Doesn’t it?”

“It does.” Hero admitted.

“I was thinking about what you said earlier. About blame and about dealing with it all over again. I think that’s why I’ve been so alright with everything. Before I couldn’t blame anyone apart from myself. For not knowing, for not being there for her. I think a part of the reason I went to church was to find meaning in her death. There was a bigger plan, and that’s comfortable. We’re not all lost.”

“You sound more skeptical”.

“I don’t think God’s plan is that detailed. I think he chose it not to be. He put us in this world, shaped by the ones previously, he gave us free will like wind-up toys, and then he let us run. Run into each other, and away from each other.”  
“Is that a common belief?”

“No, if you actually look into theology you realise it’s an absolutely awful one. But it brings me comfort.”

“Aren’t you studying theology?” Hero asked through a quiet chuckle.

Aubrey simply replied with a wicked grin, “But yeah… I imagine the day similar to you. I don’t really associate it with any emotion. Probably because I wasn’t there. But as soon as I knew that it was just… cruel fate. Or that it was Sunny, having a person to blame helped me so much. And if theres anyone who can tell you about forgiving him, he’s my boyfriend! He’s The Reason for everything, but he’s more than that. He’s My Reason, too.”

“For what?”

“To study, to get up, to shout back at mom, to clear up, to save up for a car and a licence, to get a job.”

“Yeah,” Hero looked down a smiled softly at a quietly snoring Sandy, “I get it. How’re you two doing, anyway?”

“Really well, actually,” Aubrey said through yawns, “We’re both busy. I have my studies and he has his entrance exams. We don’t talk all the time, sometimes we don’t talk every day! But I like it, he doesn’t pressure me. He’s there when I need him. Give or take a few hours.”

“Is it a serious thing?”

“We have a serious thing going… but I wouldn’t call the relationship serious, you know? We can’t commit that much just yet. But one day I want to, and so does he.”

“Good. I think you two will be alright.”

“Yeah…” Aubrey said before giving a large yawn, “I hope so…”

“You should sleep, Aubrey. School tomorrow!” Hero quietly joked.

“Funny…” she said, slowly melting down into her blanket. She attempted to headbutt his arm, but it came off more like a nuzzle, “Night Hero. Love you…”

“Love you too, Aubrey.”

Hero turned to watch the end of the movie. The flashback ended. The body was reported. The protagonist’s kids were playing outside, but he was finishing up typing something. Hero didn’t know how many times he watched this with Mari, and without her, too. Sometimes on repeat for days on end after the funeral. He silently mouthed the written monologue. _‘Although I hadn’t seen him in more than ten years, I know I’ll miss him forever,’_ tears forming at the corner of his eyes as he remembered the last line moments before it was said.  
 _‘I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?’_  
Hero felt his face crumple up and tears stream out. His body finally gave out, and he folded back, the empty hole in his gut empty for too long. Hero looked to his brother, slightly illuminated by the rolling credits, and over to his best friend, whose pink hair almost seemed glow-in-the-dark. He looked up, wishing that Mari could be here right now. But in this moment, as tears clogged up his eyes and sleep drowned him, more than anything, he wished Sunny was here.

Sunny >>> Aubrey  
Monday 00:27  
Sunny: 10.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like the little texts in the scene transitions! Please let me know if they were confusing.  
> I planned on doing a textthread chapter but I found it more fun to sprinkle that humour throughout.  
> Basil is in my plans for next, but I also REALLY wanna write more Aubrey so we'll have to see :D


	3. Basil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basil and Angel sort out the memories of their trip and remenice on how far they've come. But Basil lied for so many years, that doesn't just go away. Can it ever? Or will he continue to tolerate lies of himself and others?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I say anything else I had the pleasure of editing for Chicken Batnana earlier this week! They're a phenomenal writer and if you're interested in Twin AU Omori/Sunny, check them out here!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29176323
> 
> This one was rough but I'm proud for making it through! It was super fun.  
> Please if you have a comment, drop it! It fuels me to write more :D I'm also on the Omori Discord Server, and I try and poke my head in once a day, if you want an edit or even just a chat, please feel free to ping or PM me!

Polly let out a massive sigh, raking her bitten fingernails through her fringe. 

“What’s up?” Basil asked through a corner of toast. Polly looked up, he could tell she was tired.

“Oh nothing, I just have to go home for a bit in a couple weeks…”

“Oh, its already that far into summer?” Basil asked. Polly wore the same a grim, determined expression she always put on before going home, but Basil knew she’d come back with a sombre tiredness. There was an unspoken understanding that they didn’t talk about whatever was at her home. Basil still remembered catching Polly with those watery red rings around her eyes after she came back to his. That’s all he needed to know.

“I guess I’ve got to do some shopping! The days of Hero cooking for you is long gone, now.” 

“I’ve gotten used to that by now, you don’t need to worry about me too much,” Basil said, instinctually rubbing his left eye, “Now I’m getting paychecks, you don’t even have the buy me it, spend the money on something good when you’re away!”

“It’s not my money, you know that! Anyway, what kind of caretaker would I be if I can’t prepare you for my absences!”

“I’m just glad you’re taking time to yourself.”

“I’m glad, Basil. But you know I care for you, it’s my job!”

Basil’s head bowed. He didn’t reply to that. He just thought about her words. There was a momentary silence as Basil finished his toast.

“Anything planned for today?” she asked.

“Uuh, I gotta ring up Steve, my eye feels a lot better, also I’m hanging out with Angel. We’re finally putting all the beach pictures into the book.”

“If you want I can poke my head in for you and ask Steve!”

“It’s fine, I need to email through the plant orders!”

“It’ll be fine! I have to go to Othermart, I’ll handle it.”

“…Sure!”

“Your eye looks almost fine now. A bit yellow and pasty but you can’t notice it.” Basil noted the guilty tinge to her voice.

“That’s good, it just feels itchy right now-“ Basil was cut off by energetic knocking at the front door.

“Good timing, Angel should help distract you from your eye. I have to drop off Rufus today, so I’ll be out for the afternoon, be good, alright?”

“Will do, thanks Polly!”

“Yo Basil!” Angel shouted, bursting through as soon as the door was as much as unlocked. He hadn’t grown much since him and Basil met for the first time, but his pompadour haircut was replaced with horizontal spikes - something just as fringe-heavy, but less old-fashioned. It suited him, Basil thought.

“Hey Angel, mind the dogs!”

“Hi Rufus! Hi Sandy! Hi Florence… Hi Ted… Hi Billy…” Angel spent ten minutes greeting and reveling in the storm of dogs at Polly’s command, giving her ample time to get her handbag and head out the door with Rufus in tow. 

“Hey Frankie, hey Trent, hey Simon… hey-“ 

“okay that’s enough,” Basil ordered, dragging Angel away from the dogs, “you have a picturebook to help me with.”

The green picturebook had long since filled, so Basil had been filling up a brown one instead. He laid all the photos upside down on the ground and opened to the middle of the book. Basil’s bedroom was definitely more adult nowadays, with a small writing desk and laptop tucked in one corner, opposite to his bed, and his wardrobe which had a strange mix of suits and overalls sat in a corner next to his door. One of the benefits of rich parents is that they have a surprisingly good sense of gift-giving. Despite their absence, they kept in good sync with Basil’s interests and called him regularly. They brought him his suit when he had his first interview for the local paper, although he didn’t get a job, the suit definitely helped his confidence, plus, he looked fine as hell in it. 

“How’re things going dude? We haven’t spoken face to face in a while.” Angel asked.

“They’re well! I’ve been a bit ill lately, sorry. I’ve just been doing a bunch of admin and ordering for fix-it.”

“Eh, its cool, your loss, not being able to see my awesome tricks!”

“Like you’re going out right now, isn’t it exam retake week next week?”

“Aw man, shut up about exams for like… a day. My sister is going ON about it!”

“I mean, they’re pretty important. Don’t waste your second chance!”

“Ugh, okay MOM. Speaking off, how’s Polly doing? She looked stressed.”

“Yeah, Polly disappears for a few weeks mid-summer holidays to go back home.”

“What does she do?”

“I don’t really know. Something upsetting.”

“Why’s she doing it if it upsets her?”

“Beats me, she does a lot of things that upset her. She has a massive sense of… Duty, I guess.” 

“Sounds tough… for both of you.”

“I guess it is, but I’m kind of used to it now.” Basil said, flipping around the photo marked ‘1’ in permanent marker. “alright, lets start- oh wow I forgot about Charlie’s truck.”

**Few clouds speckle the sunny blue sky, and most of the hooligans are packed in the back of a silver pickup truck. Mikhael, his hair now dyed, Aubrey, her dye fading, Vance, Hero and Angel sit on the sawdust covered floor and play cards. The silhouette of Kim and Charlie can be seen in the front. The photo is taken from the back of the pickup, where Basil is sat precariously on the back wall of the truck. All around the truck lay large wooden spokes, fold-up deckchairs and colourful tarpaulin, as well as other disassembled beachgoing necessities.**

“God, I remember this. I got my ass handed to me in cards.”

Basil laughed, “Yeah it was funny to watch. I didn’t expect Mikhael to strop like that, though,”

“You haven’t been around him enough. He’s like ‘ooh it’s just a ga-ame!’ and then he starts losing and he throws a massive hissy-fit.”

“Vance looked even more annoying to me.”

“Oh, he’s the worst. He always rubs it in. We were playing Cambio! It’s sheer luck!”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far…”

“Oh, let me have this!!”

Basil burst out in more laughter at that, he missed Angel’s sparky humour.

“Hero got so unlucky that game, though.” Angel continued.

“Yeah, he knows how to play well but his luck is incredible,” Basil said, rubbing his eye, “Anyway, lets write the description…” Basil thought for a brief moment before scribbling down on the few lines the book gave him.

_Everyone’s playing cards! I wanted to watch, though. In the meantime, Charlie and Kim are in the front, Charlie’s driving us to the beach!_

“Basil?”

“Hm?”

“How’d you get your black eye?”

Angel asked it so casually, for a second, Basil thought his guilty conscience was back. 

“Haha… What?”

“Your eye, it's yellow, but you keep itching it and it's weeping. That’s a black eye. I’ve had a few myself.”

“Oh! It’s noth… nothing! Nothing important.”

“Basil?”

“Lets just carry on.”

“…”

Basil flipped over the picture labeled ‘2’.

**The weathered grey tarmac and sand-encrusted cars and trucks quickly give way to the beach and cliffs beside it. A faint tan path trails from the beach up a steep green hill to the cliff. The beach is busy but the golden sand looks inviting, and the blue-green waters look cool and refreshing. The hooligans are all picking their belongings out of the back of the truck. Hero struggles to lift the barbecue, whilst Charlie carries the majority of the thick windbreak spokes. Mikhael has one half of the windbreaks whilst Angel brings the parasols and Vance carries the other half. Kim drags some deckchairs and the picnic basket that Basil carries peeps into view from the corner.**

“The weather was so good” Basil whispered fondly,

“It was super hot in faraway, but the truck felt amazing and so did the sea.”

“We had plenty of time to enjoy the truck, we were in it for an hour! As soon as I smelt the sea air the day became so much more bareable.”

“Did you struggle at the start?”

“Kinda? It was… scary. You know the context, I would be lying if I said I was absolutely fine with it, especially with Kel not being there.”

“You didn’t seem scared.”

“well… It wouldn’t help if I did, would it? You just put on a brave face sometimes and deal with it.”

“I guess…”

“I’m not sure what to write for this. It’s such a snapshot, nothing’s going on…”

“Just write what you were feeling when you took it!”

“…That’s actually a really good idea.”

_We’re here! I’m super excited to be here with everyone, even if it’s a little scary. I’m not sure what I’ll do… I hope there’s something interesting at the tourist centre…_

**A photo from under a parasol, the sun has reached high in the sky and a few ocean clouds have drifted overhead. In the foreground, Hero is in his swimming trunks and applying suncream to his shins as Aubrey lies down in a deckchair in a pink bikini and shades. A sliver of Charlie’s arm can be seen to the side of the photo. Between Basil’s pale shins, a small book with diagrams of seaweed is opened. The photo focuses, however, on Vance, Mikhael, Kim, and Angel, who are tiny dots splashing around down the gentle curve of the beach. There’s a blurred speck of yellow as the picture was taken just as Vance launched a killer ball at Kim’s head, it knocked her back several feet.**

“Hero has no right.” Basil said after the two spent at least three minutes gawking.

“I know, right,” Angel replied, mesmerised.

“That ball looked like it hurt, too.”

“Vance is vicious, man, you don’t even know. He goes easy on us, but not on Kim, she had a blazing red mark from that ball, all the way from her lip up. If she wasn’t so pissed I would’ve laughed. How was Charlie?”

“I tried making conversation with them, I really did, but she doesn’t seem like someone who talks much.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Like… plants… and… flowers… and roses, and tulips, and peonies”

“Yeah, I don’t know what I expected. Charlie’s definitely not a speaker though.”

“Yeah I grabbed a book on marine plantlife shortly after.”

“Was it good?”

“Not worth the $25, that’s for sure.”

“ _Ouch_ ”

_Everyone’s playing on the beach, but I’m way too weak for the water. In the meantime, I’ll read this book on sea-plants! They’re so different from land ones!_

Basil thought after putting his pencil down. “They definitely are, though, do you know about the bacteria on coral? It rem-“

“For my sanity I’m stopping you right there.” Angel interrupted, deadpan, flipping over picture ‘4’. 

**The position of the picture has not changed much. Charlie is starting to put up wooden spokes for the windbreak whilst Aubrey, now standing up yells something down to the sea. Angel is mastering surfing, whilst Vance throws something small at him, and Kim is walking back up, looking very unhappy. The book on Basil’s legs has been replaced with a small sandwich.**

“What’s Vance throwing at you?”

“Oh, Pebbles.”

“WHAT?! Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah I’m fine! I’ve got a hard head, and only one of them hit.” Angel shifted some hair to show a dark blue welt just above his temple. Basil blinked. As Angel turned back there was a massive, puffy bruise over his eye. It was mottled yellow, pink and grey and swollen so much the eye was shut, watering slightly. Basil immediately looked down and coughed into his hand twice. He looked back, Angel was fine. Basil frowned.

“Basil?”

“Nothing. Is Kim walking back your fault?”

“Uh, yeah, she tried surfing but she sucked at it, but I could do it pretty easily.”

“Makes sense, it’s all about balance and body control, and with your dancing…”

“True – it feels good to show you guys up for once.”

“Where’s Mikhael?”

Angel chuckled wryly, “He lost Vance’s ball.”

“Oh! It was him!?”

“Yeah, he found it though.”

“Hey, wanna write the description for this one?”

“oh, HELL yeah! You can’t look until its done though, okay?”

“Wha—okay, sure...?”

_I whipped ass at surfing so Kim got mad lmao rekt Mik was dumb and lost Vance’s ball and Hero went to look for him and Aubrey is screaming something wrong at Kim probs._

“What do you think?”

“…”

“…?”

“…Give me my pen.”

**A picture from the back of the group. Angel carries spokes just a bit ahead and Aubrey carries a few deckchairs. The group heads towards the cliff. In the distance, Mikhael waves with both arms, one of them has Vance’s ball whilst he paddles in the water. The sky looks unusually pale, and the sand seems to lack outline and definition.**

“What happened to this photo?” Angel asked.

“Ah, this was when I dropped the picnic basket, remember? I was so jittery I crumpled the photo by accident and it didn’t develop properly.”

“Yeah, you seemed pretty freaked.”

“I don’t do too well when I upset people.”

“Did you ever realise where you dropped it?”

“I think when I helped you with a spoke.”

“Whoops…”

“It’s not your fault!” Basil reassured, picking up his pen.

_We’re relocating to an area that Mikhael found when he found Vance’s ball. We have to get our feet wet for it, but it’s probably worth it._

“Basil?”

“Yeah?”

“Why won’t you tell me how you got injured? No judgement.”

“…”

“…?”

“…It’s to do with another person. I’m not saying for a reason.”

“You got into a fight?”

“…Yeah.”

“Alright, I can’t judge, I’ve been in enough fights.” Angel flipped over picture 6.

**Angel and Aubrey walk away from a small white shop with leaflets in the windows. Angel is midway through a jump with his arms splayed out, holding the picnic basket in one of them. Aubrey has her jacket on over her bikini, holding up a peace sign and sticking her tongue out, smiling slightly. Behind the group is a small grassy field, dissected by a rocky river where many picnic blankets are laid out.**

“That worker at the center was a piece of work, wasn’t he?” Angel said, “…Basil?”

Basil’s gaze broke from the picnic blankets in the background, “oh yeah, I… I get it, we could be nicking it, but he was really strict. How could we remember everything in the box?”

“Probably gets his rocks off to harassing kids. Good thing we had Aubrey around. She made the picnic, after all.”

“Honestly I thought she was gonna get really angry at me…”

“Why should she?! We found what we were looking for! We just needed her help.”

“True… I guess I would have liked them to never know, they can save their energy on other things.”

“I think you think people worry about things much more than they do, dude.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right there.”

“You’re not responsible for others’ reactions to stuff they’re told, you know?”

“Yeah…”

_I lost the picnic basket! I can’t believe it! Luckily Angel calmed me down and took me to the tourist centre, one emergency call to Aubrey, who came over and provided evidence that we were legit later, and we were ready to see the cove!_

**The photo is taken whilst Basil is still walking through the sea to get to the cove. The cliff’s brown mud shields the hooligans from the wind as they explore the rockpools which litter the back of the cove. The water pools slightly inwards, creating a miniature beach, but is ultimately shallow. Hero sets up the barbecue whilst Vance gets his hand pinched by a crab.**

“That looked like it hurt…” Basil commented, pointing at Vance

“Nah, Vance doesn’t care. He’s taken worse!”

“That place was amazing, though. How did Mikhael find it?”

“That’s where Vance’s ball went.”

“How far did he _throw_ it?”

“I know, right? Hero had to help him look,”

“Sounds like him, gotta ask though, why’d you prod in the exact same place as Vance when he got his thumb pinched?” Basil asked, rubbing his eye.

“You know, lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice?”

“That’s lightning. This is a crab. There is a difference, I assure you.”

“Sure, whatever. What were you, Vance, and Kim talking about anyway?”

“Oh, he was more… talking at me, you know? About cars and different engines and he showed me some pictures of really old ones… I didn’t really reply.”

“You kept in all those comments about how bad for the environment they are?!”

“Somehow I kept it all in. I felt like a rattled bottle of Orange Joe, I was physically shaking.”

“Must’ve been traumatic…”

“I’m scarred for life, Angel,” He quipped in complete monotone. Angel let out a snort of laughter at Basil’s newly discovered snark, “that being said though, he actually accidentally mentioned one time he stole my ticket. You know how school does those raffles where you get to do fun stuff with a teacher for a day? I got mine to ride in Mr Macdonald’s old car but he took it from me.”

“Wow, sorry…”

“oh! No Its fine, he brought it up by accident and he … apologised? I felt super awkward, I hadn’t seen him be that honest, he’s always been the butt of the joke. I didn’t expect it.”

“You deserve it, dude.”

“That’s exactly what he said!”

“Well, we’ve chatted about it, you know? Like _su-ure_ Aubrey headed the charge, but we were happy to do what we did. We were angry people, you know? And we took it out on you—”

“You didn’t.”

“Huh?”

“Kim punched me, Charlie would block me and make me late for class, Mikhael would turn the school against me, Aubrey took my photo album, Vance stole my lunch money, but you never did anything to hurt me.”

“I took part…”

“You couldn’t have done anything for me.”

“I guess…”

“I saw that, Angel. Don’t beat yourself up over that, it really isn’t worth it.”

“You forgive way too easily, you know?”

“Jokes on you, Aubrey already told me that.” Basil smirked, flipping over picture 8.

**This perspective takes place among the rockpools. Hero mans the barbecue and everyone is eating hot dogs. Basil has a veggie-dog in his hand. The sun is visible from the shot now, and the sky is beginning to darken to a deep orange.**

“Those hotdogs were so good!”

“Hero knows his way around a barbecue… or any cooking implement, really.”

“Does he cook for you lots?”

“He used to! Once upon a time he was going to be a chef.” Basil reminisced, scratching his eye.

“Now he’s a med student. That’s a leap, or a fall.”

“I think that speaks more to your perception of dreams than his.”

“Hey! It’s not your fault I have confidence to make it big!”

“I used to want to be a druid. I read comics about Poison Ivy all the time.”

“Being a dancer is different to being a supervillain, I think.”

“Marvel have probably made a dancing supervillain.”

“Touche.”

_Hot dogs! Although I had a veggie dog… Hero lives up to his reputation as a cook! I think we’re all glad Aubrey managed to drag him along!_

**Taken by someone else, Basil and Angel dance on the sand in the cove. Basil looks a lot less confident than Angel, but that’s hard to tell when they’re both jumping and grinning. Most people mind their own business and ignore, but Mikhael watches and claps. The sky behind is a deep marmalade-orange.**

“You and Mikhael got on pretty fast when he joined yours and Vance’s conversation,” Angel commented.

“Well, Vance started talking about his dad, and Mikhael mentioned how his parents never got him, and if theres a conversation topic I can jump in on, its crappy parents.”

“That makes sense. He doesn’t stay and watch my performances…” Angel grumbled.

“I guess he was giving me some extra kindness, since you talked about it beforehand.”

“Maybe, but I’m not so kind! You didn’t get any charity from me there!”

“I could tell, that dance routine was a workout.”

“It was like, 10 seconds long!”

“I haven’t danced since… ever!”

“You nailed it, though.”

“Thanks to your help. Once I relaxed it was so much easier.”

“It’s the hardest thing to do as a dancer.”

“Who took that photo, anyway?”

“Aubrey, I think.”

“Woah, she used to hate me taking photos.”

_Me and Angel dancing! It wasn’t easy, and I felt super out of place, but Angel reminded me that no one was actually watching, and as soon as I relaxed, I felt myself move much easier! I see why Angel likes this so much! I can also see how he’s so fit…_

**The back of the pickup truck once more. The shadow of Charlie sleeps on Vance’s shoulder in the front as he drives the hooligans home. The sky is a deep amber, mottled with clouds, and the only person not dozing in the back is Aubrey, who just looks at the camera with a small, forced grin.**

“Aww, they all look so cute, sleeping!” Angel crooned.

“I don’t know how people do it, it takes me forever to fall asleep-“ Basil felt pricks in his skin on his arm. Looking at it, he recoiled back as he saw jagged nails sprouting out in all directions, fresh blood dripping and boiling up like he’d been treated like a…  
He looked back at the photo of Aubrey,  
A baseball bat.  
Basil coughed twice into his hand, closing his eyes. When he looked back, nothing. 

“Basil?”

“Sorry… I saw something funny.”

“Oh, like what?”

“Just a scratch on my arm!”

“Aubrey mentioned that you can get them, like when you’re stressed and that.”

“Yeah…” Basil said noncommittally, trying to not think too hard about what Angel said.

“Aubrey doesn’t look too happy in this photo…”

“Yeah, I don’t think she likes me much. She’s gotten used to me, but… I don’t think it’ll ever be like before.”

“If any of Kim’s stories are true, that’s for sure. She certainly isn’t cutesy anymore, even if she’s eased off the bullying.”

“Yeah. She introduced me to everyone, you know? Back when we were younger. She saw me struggling and helped. She’s always felt sorry for people, even if she doesn’t show it. It just feels like she’ll always try, but never really forgive me, and I’m not sure if I want someone to try and fail to forgive me, you know? I don’t want them to put themselves through that pain.”

“She forgave Sunny.”

“Sunny represents one half of the greater whole. Aubrey wasn’t hurt by the truth when it came out, she was upset by the lie. What I did. I’m the liar. I did that.”

“Basil. It’s not like that. Aubrey… feels really shitty, Basil.”

“Yeah I know—”

“No you don’t, you- ugh,” Angel rubbed his temples, “It’s not my place to say, so I won’t. But you should really think about talking to her about this.”

“How do I bring it up to her? ‘Hi, you hate me.’?”

“Theres no smooth way to bring up an awkward conversation, dude. But just, give it some thought, alright? Despite what you think, it’s a lot more… I don’t know… Nuanced?” 

Basil didn’t say anything for a while. He breathed in deep and held his breath until it felt like his lungs would burst, letting out a tremendous sigh. 

“Thanks, Angel.”

“No problem, dude.”

He picked up the pen.

It was already seven o’clock when Polly bustled through the door. She was too busy compiling a mental list of all the things she had to take care of to notice the warm smell of spices and lemon. She could hear the hissing and crackling from the back corner of the livingroom.

“Hi Bas- oh?”

Once Polly had fought through the freshly fed and walked dogs, she saw him chopping up a pepper next to a wok with noodles, beansprouts, aubergine and tofu in it.

“Hi Polly!” Basil greeted, “I’m making stir-fry for dinner, it’ll be ready in around half an hour, so feel free to have a shower and a break. The dogs have been fed and walked already!”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked,

“Absolutely not.”

“Are you sure?”

“Even if there was, this is my dinner and I get to cook it!” Basil said with a mock-cheer, “though you could set the table for me…”

Despite Polly’s worries about the copious amounts of garlic and soy sauce, the food turned out alright, boosting Basil’s pride. Its an unsaid compliment that if the first half of a meal doesn’t have any conversation, it’s a good meal. But that wasn’t the only reason Basil was quiet. He was thinking about a picnic basket.

“Polly?”

“Hm?”

“What’s it like when you go back home?”

It was seven innocuous words, but they fell like a hammer on a glass pane. Polly said nothing, she just stared at Basil, he could tell she was trying to read his expression, but Basil had long since mastered the innocent look.  
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“You don’t have to tell me, you know. I know you don’t want to burden me with the issues you have at home, but I want to help. I know you worry about me, but I’m almost twenty, now. I want to help you back.”

“I’m not sure I want to talk, though.” Her voice was measured and calm, but her face was positively fearful. 

“That’s okay. I’m just… I’m aware that we’ve gotten very comfortable ignoring the issues in your life, and despite what you want, I feel we’ve grown past what we were when I was younger. You’re my friend, you have been in a while. And I realised today that it’s a friend’s job to make sure we don’t fall into the bad habits in our life, I’m… worried, Polly.”

Polly took a long sigh. “I don’t want to go, Basil…”

“Do you want me to come with you? I can round up some people, get a Polly Protection Squad!”

Polly chuckled quietly, “yeah…”

“Listen, you don’t have to tell me anything. I just… I don’t even want to take some of the weight off your shoulders! I just want to be there to give you some extra strength. Like you have for us.”

“…Alright. Yeah.”

“Yes!” Basil cheered, leaping up from the table, “How many seats do you have in your car?”

“Five, why?”

Basil thought for a second as he slung his jacket on and slipped into his shoes, “…It’s fine we can stick Kel in the boot.”

“Wait—” But Basil was already out the door.

Polly let out a large sigh behind her hands, as she thought of the energy Basil's friends had brought out in him. But she was smiling. Grimly? Happily? Relieved? She didn’t know. But she was smiling. That was good, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also had the pleasure of editing for ElevatedMidday this week, someone whose grip and mastery over dialogue is something I envy and admire in equal parts! Check out their Sunburn fluff fic, Runaway, here! https://archiveofourown.org/works/29253801/chapters/71834709
> 
> You know what I said about swearing and comfortability? Yeah. This was a difficult one.  
> Fun, though! I messed around with dialogue a lot which is what I went into fics to get better with, and I got to sprinkle a tiny bit of shipping in there. Writing older Basil is fun.  
> It's Polly next chapter! Get ready yall! There will be ANGST.


	4. Polly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was hard for Polly to open up, but here she sits, ferrying Kel, Basil, Mikhael, and Angel far away from Faraway to her house, but she's worried. Will she be able to keep it together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TW: Alchohol abuse**  
>  This chapter comes with a warning! It touches on some pretty dark stuff! However, I will make sure that the rest of the story can be appreciated without this chapter. If you want to skip this one, feel free.  
> I've had this chapter planned since I was planning Hero's chapter. To say its been easy would be... uh... lying, but it's been fun and MUCH easier with how much time I've spent on it. Comments are loved, feedback endlessly appreicated, and as usual.  
> Shoutout to keepasecretgetastrawberry one of my 0 irl friends I have who was the resident keysmasher standing in for Aubrey. I don't keysmash and when I tried it came out like a grandpa dying on his keyboard, so my good dude was a massive hand! Love you man!

After almost an hour of driving through a road surrounded by fields, it was a welcome change for Polly to drive through some familiar streets.

“Kel! Move out of the way!” Angel complained. Polly could feel the shifting of knees hitting the back of her seat. She was already regretting her decision.

“Don’t come over here! I’m running out of room as it is!” Mikhael whined. Polly heard the sound of rubber hitting face and a yelp of pain.

“JESUS, MIK! Alright guys where else am I supposed to go? I can’t sit on the groceries! Move OVER!” Basil watched Polly with an appropriate amount of fear as she glared at the road over the bags beneath her eyes. “Come on guys, why do I have to be in the footwell!” Kel complained.

“You’re the shortest.” The four of them said in unison.

“No I am NOT! That’s Basil!”

“Oh you want to put Basil in the footwell, huh?” Angel said, maybe a bit too confrontationally.

“No- I mean, fine… I swear this is illegal though.”

“That’s what makes it fun!” Mikhael responded. Basil could see Polly begin to sweat.

“We’re going to your dad’s, right Polly?” Kel asked bluntly from under her seat.

“Yeah, we are Kel!” she said in an eerily happy tone.

“Why isn’t he driving to you? Does he not even have a license?” Mikhael asked, kicking Kel on the head on purpose this time.

“He has a license, but he chooses not to use it.” She explained, taking a deep breath after.

“Sounds about right..." Mikhael grumbled, "What about your mom?”

“She doesn’t live there anymore.” Polly had heard from Basil that Mikhael and he bonded through their issues with their parents. She thought it was surprising that Mikhael was so happy to come, but she was quickly realising that he might be there to break something… or someone. Basil had told her that he was more worried about Angel. Although the kid was graceful, he was energetic, and all it took was one grand gesture of excellence and he’d backhand grandma’s ashes across the room. Just thinking about that scene made Polly sweat more.

“It’ll be fine! Meeting Polly’s dad will be fun!” Kel cheered, convincing no one. Polly dashed the dark idea of taking a hard left into the houses and focused on the road ahead. 

“Alright, we’re almost there!” Polly said to the relief of all, “It’s just past ‘Redways’ here.” She explained, pointing to a small corner shop with a weather-beaten sign. Countless houses zoomed past Mikhael as he looked out the left window, whilst Angel stared out the right side window at an old highschool on the other end of a large field.

The car eventually came to a stop, reversing into the dusty driveway of a vine-encrusted, two-floored house. The windows on the second floor were boarded up and the front door to the porch had fallen in, with the interior front door also boarded up. Polly made her way through a small side-gate around to the back.

The normal chatter was replaced by thinly veiled shock. Polly glowered at nothing as she made her way to the back door, feeling her embarrassment turn to anger. Her fathers garden was a long strip of uncut grass and overgrown leaves. His curtains from his living room facing out were closed so she could only see the faint flicker of his aged television. She fished out an old set of keys and fumbled with the lock.

“Dad! It’s Polly!” she called, walking through the back door into a small conservatory.

“About time!” A wheezy old voice snapped from nearby. The group walked into a thin, dirty, carpeted corridor with three closed doors. There was a stairway to the end of the corridor on their right and an open door to their immediate right which lead to some sort of living room, they could see the movement of an old television. 

“I brought a few friends around. They won’t be an issue.” Polly called as she dropped her bags in the corridoor.

The old voice simply murmured something disapproving as Polly walked into the living room. Briefly, she was joined by the others, but curiosity quickly overtook them. Kel and Mikhael examined a yellow door in the corridor, whilst Angel was more interested in the stairs, which were littered with boards of wood with nails sticking out of them.

“Glad to see you’re keeping well. How’s Terrance?” Polly asked as she walked into the small living room, wrenching the curtains open. Basil quickly followed, but stayed by the doorway, trying not to let his jaw drop as he tried to connect the genetic link between Polly and her dad. He had none of Polly’s slight elegance and empathy, her soft tone or kind care. He slouched in a beaten-up armchair, his wrinkled, pink, hairy arms scratching his bald head where small whisps of curled grey hair tried to cover him. His belly spilled over his waist and an oversized white vest spilled over that, stained in multiple places. He held a can of beer in one hand and littered all around his feet were easily twenty more. The minifridge on his coffee table was open, and only one can of beer remained rolling around at the bottom. Basil immediately held his hand over his face to hide from the smell and his facial expression from anyone else. if Polly’s Dad could’ve hissed when she wrenched his curtains open, he would’ve. 

“I don’t like looking out there, you know that, Polls.”

“Don’t get your sentimental nicknames out now guests are here, Dad, its the same shit as always.”

“I’m not! Just close them!” 

“Don’t look outside. Or better yet, close them yourself. How is Terrance, anyway?”

“He’s alright. You know how he is. Same shit, different day.”

“Glad he’s well. Oh yeah, this is Basil.” Polly gestured towards Basil, who felt like he was in trouble for how monotonously and viciously she was introducing him. Polly’s Dad’s eyes stayed glued to the television, “DAD. BASIL. SAY HI.” Polly looked at Basil like she was trying to prove a point, and Basil could see the angry teenager that Polly must’ve been glimmer in her eyes. 

“Hel… hello sir!” He introduced, walking forwards with a hand out. Polly’s Dad’s head didn’t move, but his eyes flickered in Basil’s direction. He let out a wordless grumble and waved his hand in the air.

“Jesus Christ, how much have you had today? Clean up after yourself!” Polly scorned, fishing a plastic bag out from her back pocket and beginning to round up the cans.

“Not any more than usual, its just… Terrance has been out for a few days, yeah?”

Polly let out a quick, harsh bark of laughter in response. “Even you’re not that awful to make Terrance pick this up. Don’t give me that bullshit, I know you take out the trash.” Regardless of her cold words, Polly still stormed out of the room having collected all the empty beer cans. Basil felt awkward leaving the man to himself, so he walked and stared out the window. The tall, arching trees had long strings of ivy draping off them like vines. They wrapped around the small bench he could barely make out and decorated it with beautiful weeds. The tall grass had massive and blooming flowers, probably once weeds now grew to be luscious and tall. At the far end of the long strip of nature, he swore he saw a flash of grey stone.  
“What’s that? At the bottom of the garden?” Basil asked, placing a tentative hand on the window.

“Nothing, kid. You’re seeing things. You know, if you stay real quiet and still, sometimes the deer from the field behind here will come in.”

The idea of Basil seeing a live deer was all he needed to sit down in front of the window, perfectly still. Plus, new environments and people, as well as seeing a side to Polly he’d never witnessed before, it felt like a very good time to do some meditation. Ignoring his trembling hands and his ranting internal monologue. The boy sat down.

Kel >>> Sunny  
Thursday 4:02pm  
Kel sent a photo  
Sunny: lmao nice  
Sunny: where do you find all those violin memes?  
Kel: Im not gonna reveal my sources to you!  
Sunny: :I  
Sunny: this violin really is the gift that keeps on giving, huh  
Kel: Second best birthday gift??  
Sunny: bestest.

Kel >>> Basil  
Thursday 4:10pm  
Kel: Yo  
Kel: Basil  
Kel: Whens Sunny’s birthday again?  
Basil: Please text in one message, for the sake of my concentration and your credit. Also, it was the 20th.  
Kel: WHAT

Kel and Mikhael tried to open the yellow door as quietly as they could. They failed. Luckily, no one reacted poorly, so they pushed their way in. The room seemed to be a small, windowless bedroom. A massive bookshelf packed full of books lined the far wall, but no books were stacked on the top two shelves. A small single bed was set against the left wall. A low desk was placed in the back corner of the room, with many wires dangling from a plug under it. Beside the desk, a small grabber-stick was placed.  
“I remember Polly mentioning a brother who lived at home. Is this his room?” Kel asked, following Mikhael and they tentatively stepped inside. Mikhael walked towards the bookshelf, examining the dust on the upper shelves and the titles of the books. 

“A fan of murder mysteries… and saucy romance books? Are you sure he’s not actually a middle aged woman?” Mikhael commented. 

“Did he write them?” Kel said, sizing himself up to the desk, it only came up to partway past his knee. 

“No… Oh wait!” Mikhael said, opening the first page, “a note? Oh! He’s an editor…”

“A stay-at-home one,” Kel finished, looking across the room.

Mikhael followed his eyeline. In the corner there was a folded up wheelchair pressed up against the other end of the bookshelf, “A spare?”

“I think so, yeah.” Kel took a deep sigh, running his fingers through his hair, “Kinda seeing why Polly didn’t want to come back, now.”

“Wow dude, that’s harsh.”

“No! Not the wheelchair. This place, its dirty. It smells bad, it feels bad Mik, I know you can feel it too. Living in here for three weeks? I think I’d go mad.”

Mikhael let out an equally long sigh, “Yeah… theres a story behind this, isn’t there.”

Kel thought back to a certain neighbour, a certain treehouse, a certain tree, “There always is.”

“What about the red door?” Mikhael asked, patting Kel’s shoulder as he scooted past him, “there’s more places to explore. Where did Angel go, anyway?”

“Upstairs, I think.”

Mikhael cast a cursory glance towards the many rusted nails littering the stairs up, “Hope he was wearing shoes…”

Kel pushed open the red door and immediately recoiled at the smell. It was a larger bedroom with a double bed set against the far wall, the mattress was ripped and stained, with some areas showing popped springs. The grimy duvet would have better luck as a net with the amount of holes it had. An old dresser’s doors hung at a tilt, dangling by one hinge, its clothes now piled high on the floor of it. The smell was a noxious mix of alcohol, sick, and body odour. The floor was littered with damp underwear, dirty vests, plastic bags, empty cans of beer, and hole-ridden socks. 

“Jesus fucking Christ…” Mikhael said, backing from the sight. Kel looked over at him, honestly impressed that was the first swear that he’d made since coming in here. As Mikhael fully backed off, he just looked over the floor. Wordlessly, Kel looked back in the room. He wasn't lying earlier. There was a stench deeper than just smell... like a miasma of misery. Kel sighed again, walked back into the other room, coming out with a plastic bag and a grabber. “Ew. You’re becoming more like Hero every day.” Mikhael chided,

“You say that like it’s a bad thing!” Kel joked,

“No, its not, but- No. You know what? Fuck this,” His voice was low and measured, but warbling with anger, “This was a bad idea. This is… awful, he’s awful. Fuck this, I’m helping Polly.” He quietly stormed to the kitchen whilst Kel got to work.

Kel >>> Aubrey  
Thursday 4:27  
Kel: SUNNY’S BIRTHDAY WAS LAST WEEK AND YOU DIDNT TELL ME?????  
Aubrey: Wow you forgot? You deserve the shame.”  
Kel: FUCK DUDE HES GONNA HATE ME  
Kel: I DIDNT EVEN GET HIM A PRESENT  
Aubrey: Yeah he was super bummed out. Didnt get out of bed all day.  
Aubrey: I booked time off studying and work and everything to see him.  
Kel: Really?  
Kel: Listen dude Im so sorry  
Aubrey: Nah Im fucking with you youre good.  
Kel: u whore  
Kel: What do I get Sunny tho?  
Aubrey: Something Japanese, he asked for it but noone got him anything and I think hes super bummed about it  
Aubrey: Honestly though I think none of us understand it which is why noone got anything  
Aubrey: But ur last so gl searching through hentai sites  
Kel: Hero’s telling me to tell you that hentai and anime are only similar in artstyle and they’re completely different otherwise.  
Kel: Whats hentai anyway?  
Aubrey: SHDJDJDNFNSMDKFM HEROS A WEEB??  
Kel: What the fucks a weeb? What’s hentai? Answers, Aubrey!  
Aubrey: Ask Hero, or better yet, google’s your friend.

Angel stepped carefully over the fallen-out door of a dilapidated bathroom. Massive silverfish and god-knows-what else scurried to hide from the first thing bigger than a rat they’d seen in years. The cramped upper landing had three other broken indoors. The first one was directly opposite Angel as he stepped left, past the toilets at the head of the stairs. The floor was clearer, and it was a simple hollowed-out room, with a rotted wooden bed frame in the middle of it. It looked large enough for a double mattress. Angel was ready to leave and look elsewhere when he saw a reflection from the outside sunlight. Broken glass. A wooden frame. He tip-toed over, picking it up gingerly. It was a family photo, small, about the size of a polaroid. Angel could immediately recognise Polly, the older sister, her arms wrapped around the front of a smaller boy with dark, spiked hair whose shoulders were hunched, he looked like he was shifting foot to foot as the picture was taken, but he still smiled shyly. Polly looked young, she had shoulder-length wavy hair and a massive grin, she looked no older than fifteen. Behind them, a well-dressed but shy man stood, a bit stocky, with a head of tight, dark curled hair and a slightly unkempt stubble, but a kind grin which crinkled his eyes. Next to him a taller woman with a massive mane of blond hair and a neat smile stood. She wore the finest suit Angel had seen and her makeup was equally perfect. Thoughts rushed through Angel’s head. Answers… questions which led to more answers… He didn’t know how long he’d been staring at the photo before he blinked into reality again. Pocketing it, he continued further down.

The second room wasn’t much better. All that stood in the small rectangular room was a small metal bed frame under a boarded-up window. Angel saw his reflection in hanging shards of a shattered mirror, and a wooden desk which was set in the corner had caved in at the center. Despite the boarded-up windows, a cold, damp draft still carried through the room. By the leg of the bedframe, Angel saw a small bag. Tentatively, he tested its weight. It had something in it. More importantly, a triangular shard of thick glass pierced it, all the way through. Carefully, he unzipped it. There were.. books inside. Names, dates, “per month”, and “raise” were written at the top, with the dates spanning almost three decades ago. All the numbers seemed consistent, apart from when the normally blank column of “raise” would have a “+” or “-“ followed by a certain amount of money. Angel frowned as he started to put the clues together. 

Hero >>> Aubrey  
Thursday 5:23  
Hero: Aubrey, you are a plague of misery and destruction. How dare you expose my little brother to that side of the internet. Karma will get you one day, just you wait.  
Aubrey: ASDFGHJKL  
Hero: Excuse me?

“POLLY!” A wheezy voice boomed from the living room, “DID YOU BRING ANY BEER?” Mikhael and Polly had been cleaning the large kitchen well into the afternoon. Polly looked towards the heavens and sighed, the cavity under the sink would have to go unwashed for a bit longer. 

“Yeah, dad! give me a mo.” She replied, her face not matching her cheery voice. Mikhael looked like the angriest fish as he opened his mouth in protest. 

“Polly!” he hissed, “The fuck you doing letting him boss you around like that? He’s such a stereotypical bad dad! Don’t encourage him!” he continued, grabbing her shoulder as she reached down into the fridge.

Polly turned around like a force of nature, staring Mikhael dead in the eyes with chilling neutrality. “Mikhael. I know you care…” her voice was a low hum, “I know you’re trying to help, but rule one of helping people is to know who to help. My situation isn’t ideal, but with all due respect, you don’t know anything about it. Leave me be, please.” Mikhael said nothing to that, just staring at her with a stunned mix of shock and anger. She walked past him with a can of beer. “Here, dad.” She said simply as she walked into the other room, handing the cold can to him. 

“Thanks, sweetheart. Want to watch this?” he gestured to the TV which seemed to be showing a badly kept recording of some 80s comedy show. She could hear the tinny laughter as a police officer ran away from something, “It’s ‘allo ‘allo! You remember that right?” he said, grinning a gaptoothed grin. 

Polly grimaced, “Yeah, I do. I’m good, I’m working on clearing up the kitchen. Hey, Basil, what’s wrong?” she asked, noticing the boy had been sat stock still, cross-legged since she walked in.

“Waiting for deer.” Basil simply murmured. Polly let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes, looking back to her dad.

“Dad, you didn’t tell him—Ugh. Basil. There aren’t any deer.” 

“No I saw some earlier…” he said, his voice wistful and trailing. Polly sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“No you didn’t, you were probably just seeing things. Deer don’t come around here. Dad just told you that to shut you up,” Basil looked around at Polly with a look of confused hurt. ‘ _fuck,_ ’ she cursed her bad mood. “-Wait.. no that was bad wording. You weren’t… I mean… He wasn’t doing it to…” she could already see Basil’s mouth start to form a thin line. The first wall. Polly began to feel boiling, unjustified anger rise in her chest. She wasn’t sure what it was about. The situation? This situation? Herself? Her dad? Basil? She stared at the carpet, trying to find blame. There’s so much, but it all ultimately started with her. Basil looked up at her and smiled. 

“It’s fine Polly. It doesn’t matter!” he said innocently, but Polly could only look down with dread. The second wall. She gulped, steadying herself. Fortifying herself mentally. But it failed. Her hands were still shaking. This happened a lot. On calls with his parents, when Aubrey bullied him, when Sunny came over.

But never to her. 

“Basil. C’mon, lets pop out quickly and chat about it. I wanna set what I said right.”

“But there’s nothing to talk about?” he looked puzzled. The convincingness of his acting was chilling.

“Yeah Polls, come on. The kid’s fine!”

“SHUT UP, Dad.” She snapped around at him, louder than she wanted to. The shout echoed through the house. Hot tears bubbled up at the corner of her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Hard. Her father just looked at her gormlessly, before she saw his eyes trace movement behind her. She whipped around, but Basil was already gone.

The third wall.

Polly could’ve broken down right there. Her legs felt like they’d give under her if she took another step. She could’ve pounded the floor, ripped her hair out, screeched about how much of a bad idea this was. How she could’ve never hoped this would go well. Instead, she drew her lips into a thin line and slowly, calmly walked out the door. In the main corridor the respective kids had come from their area, obviously attracted by the shout. Angel and Mikhael looked to be in closed-off conversation, in one corner, whilst Kel had a bag of dirty socks.

“Everything good, Polly?” Kel asked, frowning slightly. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine. You guys enjoying yourself?” They all murmured polite agreement, but none of them made eye contact, “well, let me know if you want to go out to the local area. I can show you some places, alright?” Not waiting for a response, she turned back to the kitchen. 

She barely had time to pick up a plate in the washing bowl before a voice rang out from behind. “Basil went to the garden,” Mikhael said with a cold tone. Polly didn’t look at him, staring at the ghost of her reflection in the mirror. She sighed.

“Thanks, Mik. Sorry. For what it's worth.”

“I get it. Which is why I’m not saying anything. That doesn’t mean I don’t see the issue though.”

Polly walked out and saw that Basil was searching for nothing in the garden.

“Listen, Basil. I’m really sorry, I know you wanted to help me, but I said some pretty insensitive things there, and I can see you’ve been trying your best…” she didn’t have to do this often. She didn’t really screw up, much. Polly could’ve sworn she heard him scoff.

“It’s fine it’s just… I want to help, but I don’t think you want it.”

“I don’t need help, Basil.”

“I know.” His voice was quiet and simple, and it was so painfully obvious that he was lying.

“I don’t. Basil.”

“I agree!” He said, smiling, finally coming out of the tall grass and smiling at her.

“No you don’t! But… But I don’t!”

“And I’m not going to interfere, Polly.” It felt like he wasn’t listening to her, “I’m not going to continue to be the good guy in every situation. You clearly have issues, but I’m not going to push them. I’m not going to martyr myself for you.”

“What do you MEAN, martyr yourself??” Polly shouted, her voice high and scandalised.

Basil flinched back, as if by the power of her words, but something inside his anxiety, deep in his stomach reacted to this anger like flame and oil.

“LOOK AT YOURSELF, Polly!” he shouted back, “I agreed with you and you told me I didn’t! You didn’t tell me ANYTHING about you and it’s CLEAR your home life is awful, but you refuse to do anything about it! It’s like you want me to yell and scream at you, like you’ve made the realisation but someone else can put it in action! I’m SORRY, Polly, but I’m not going to do your job for you. So you can wallow in here, but I’m not gonna sacrifice myself for you!”

“What the FUCK do you know about me? About anything here? You don’t know anything about what's happened here!!”

“And whose fault is that!?” Basil screamed, angry tears now falling from his face. 

“WOAH WOAH WOAH!! WHAT’S GOING ON?” Mikhael ran out of the door, dashing past Polly to stand in the middle, hands out.

“STAY OUT OF THIS, MIK.” They both yelled at him simultaneously. To his credit, the delinquent didn’t move.

"You drag your friends along and snoop around my home and make my life SO MUCH HARDER—”

“Yeah! I have a habit of that, Polly. Not sure if you realised that I’m the rip-roaring, parent-unloving, sister-hanging, home-ruining guy that got all of us here.”

Silence. His words fell like lead.

"...Basil?" Kel's voice from the doorway was tiny. Basil didn't look him in the eye, "What's going on?"

“Fuck it.” Basil’s voice went quiet. 

“Fuck it all. FUCK IT!” He screamed at the ground… at the air… at her.

“If your home means so much to you, you can stay here. I’m not letting you back in Faraway.” Basil turned on his heel and stormed out of the small side gate just as Kel ran out the door. Mikhael and Polly both were shellshocked. 

“Basil! Wait!” Kel shouted, running after the kid.

“Polly? What’s going on?” Angel asked, his voice high and tense. Polly was just staring at the air in shock. She tried to think that the words didn’t sound like her… But they did. She tried to think that the emotions she felt weren’t true, but they were.

“Uh, Polly?” Mikhael asked, jabbing a thumb to her left. She looked over to see the open curtain of the French sliding doors. Her dad. His eyes wide. His mouth agape. His beer can tilted, beer trickling onto his vest.

“Oh… _fuck off…_ ”

Kel >>> Aubrey  
Thursday 7:48pm  
Kel: I cant find any Japanese toy sites that I can read, any recommendations?  
Aubrey: Hm… idk tbh  
Kel: Any. Literally anything.  
Aubrey: Have you tried Bad Dragon?

Hero >>> Aubrey  
Thursday 7:52pm  
Hero: AUBREY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW. YEAH. This was HARD to write at times. This is a two-parter! So far I've written an additional 2K words and I have two more scenes to write and if I have to edit 10k words I MIGHT cry. Especially my own words. Its infinitely harder to edit my own work but I am far too scared to show anyone my prototypes.  
> I apologise for how long this took, my mental state took a gargantuan nosedive last week, but if I'm uploading this that means I'm finally out of bed! Woo! We appreciate the small progress we make in life!  
> Next chapter is... well... Polly! No surprise there! Love yall!


	5. Polly Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth of Polly's home is revealed, and errors need to be rectefied, but healing is an uphill slope, and its harder when everyone around you is reeling from the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright yall I STRONGLY reccomend you read the previous part again! I set a few themes and images up in Pt.1 which only make sense and get fulfilled in Pt.2! But if not it shouldn't be the end of the world :D

Mikhael stood in the doorway, arms folded, glowering down at the old man who didn’t even bother to look up. In his periphery, he saw Polly and Angel sat on a bench in their overgrown garden. “Oi. Old man. You gonna start speaking or what?”

“What’re you doing speaking to me like that?” He asked looking up, having the gall to look offended.

“God it's funny… I don’t remember where I started caring. You’re not my dad. I doubt you could even get your fat ass off your chair to kick me out. You’re much happier to get your daughter to do everything, aren’t you?”

“Who are you again? With the right to talk to me like that?!” in the man’s defense, his presence, once shifted forwards, was intimidating. His grey-blue eyes locked onto Mikhael’s, and they stayed perfectly trained. Mikhael flicked his arm and a small polaroid photo fell into the man’s lap.

“Familiar? Angel went upstairs. Had a look around. You could at least do me the decency of giving me your name, if you don’t want me to call you a combination of: Shit, old, fart, useless, and chode.” The old man’s eyes were wide, locked on the photo. His fingers brushed against it.   
There was nothing for a while, he just stared.

“Russell. My name is Russell.”

“Alright, Russell. My name is Mikhael. Who are they? In the photo?”

“That’s… Polly… Me, my wife, and Terrance.” His eyes had a misty, far-off look to them as he stared at the photo, “I… we… That was taken almost ten years ago now. When… my wife became CEO of her company.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing! I never meant to-"

"I meant your job, dipshit."

"...I was a plumber… There was nothing else for me coming out of school. I just walked up to an area one day and said ‘I can learn' and I’ve been working since then. But when we had Polly, I was the one who decided to stay at home. I only did freelance work, anyway. I could stop easier, she was earning more. I’d take them to school, and on the way back they’d always ask to go to…”

“Redways.” Polly said, looking down at the grass, “back when Terrance could still move, we’d head to Redways and get the pick and mix. I loved the strawberry laces.”

“Not the coke bottles? You must be a sociopath.” Angel commented, causing Polly to chuckle. 

“They were Terrance’s favourite. Whenever he had a rough day at school, and he had a few, dad’d always get coke bottles for him.”

“Terrance struggled with school?”

“He was an awkward kid. It took him a while to get along with people, no doubt because he was next to me and … well, I was lucky, I was popular. I was also an asshole, but when that passed, I eventually found my small group of friends, and dragged Terrance in.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“Probably is. No, it was. It was me, Terrance, Lindsey and Frankie. Me and Frankie always got on the best. Lindsey and Terrance might’ve had a thing going on? I don’t really remember. But yeah, we all got on well. In the summer they’d come over here and sneak through the undergrowth at the back to the field behind. We’d go exploring the woods and make little dens… It was fun! I got to be someone other than studious, organised Polly, you know? I got to roll in the dirt with my best friends and my brother.” Polly paused, letting out a long sigh she didn’t know she had trapped in her. Staring at the overgrown grass.

“You don’t have to say if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s alright. My dad’s diabetic, you know? It makes it worse that he’s drinking all that beer. The stuff I get him is sugar free, not sure about what Terrance orders him, though. Might be trying to slowly kill the old man. Can’t blame him.”

“Why not?”

“We were heading…”

“To the beach…” Russell finished, staring down at the photo still. Mikhael had since sat down on the sofa, listening intently, “It was a great day, just the four of us. I persuaded their mom to come, everything was- should’ve been perfect…”

“It wasn’t.”

“Do you know what a hypo is?”

“…No.”

“When you have diabetes and you don’t process your blood sugar properly, you can get highs or lows. You… you feel like your head is swimming, like everything is too much, or too little, like you’re going deaf...” He looked outside at Polly’s car, “Like you’re drunk.”

Mikhael was trying to hate that man. He was trying hard. He saw one look at this man the moment he walked into this house and immediately got the situation. Or so he thought. His face fell, as the last pieces that Angel couldn’t fill in were filled by his imagination. He thought back to the beach, about bonding with Basil over ‘shitty parents’. He thought of Polly’s patience when he ranted to her about those same “shitty” parents. She wasn’t paid to deal with him. She did it anyway. God. What the fuck did he know? 

“I crashed into another car on the way back. The car just… crumpled. Both windshields shattered, Terrance really wanted to be in the front seat. The airbag didn’t go, a shard of glass went… right through… his pelvis. Millimeters away from his stomach.” Russell looked far, far down the garden, right to the bottom, past the long grass and vines, to where a pale grey, moss encrusted gravestone lay at the bottom, “His mother died instantly. The doctors say she didn’t feel a thing. Her head collided with the seat in front of her, right against the metal backing.”

“Neither of us have seen Frankie or Lindsey since. I was about to go to college, so I chose Faraway nursing school. Terrance just… dropped out. He’d read books all day. Endless books. Never stopping, just constant. When we got mom’s will though, we got a computer, and internet. Terrance read online after that. I don’t know what anyone I used to know is doing anymore. I’m just the tragic perfect girl, you know?”

“That’s why you feel guilty about Basil all the time, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“You get it. You get the pain. And… you got off easy. But you still left and studied and were happy. Now you work for Basil’s parents, a cushy job. No wonder you want to do the best you can. You gotta earn this happiness.”

“Yeah. How can I feel guilt more pungent than leaving my brother with the man who took away his legs and his mom? How can I feel guilt more pungent than leaving my dad to decay into… that. I… it has to mean something.”

“You can’t live like this.”

“I know, but how else am I supposed to live? Without me they’d both die. Dad can’t sustain himself, and you saw what happened with me after one day! Try being there for the other fourty-nine weeks a year. I haven’t spoken to Terrance face to face in… in so long. I know this isn’t right, but what can I do? All of this, here, it draws attention to how… fucked up I am.”

“You’re not fucked up. You just gave up.”

“That’s rude.”

“I’m right.”

“You’re far too optimistic for your age.”

“I’m past the point of caring what you guys think about my worldview. My parents don’t get my passions, I don’t expect you to.”

Polly leaned forward, rubbing her eyes. “This sucks. I’m… argh! I’m angry! He thinks he can come in and be passive aggressive like that? Like he knows what’s going on? Like… I’m not insane, right? he was a bitch, right?”

“I mean… you were the aggressor.”

“Yeah! I know!”

“But I see where you’re coming from. He didn’t handle it well, despite all the issues he has.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re both in the wrong though.”

“Fuck you.”

Mikhael looked outside, he saw Polly and Angel get up and walk to the back gate. He’d never seen Polly so… slouched, tired, unrefined. He didn’t want to get it, but he got it. Adults. They’re all shitty. But as that man began to sob in his chair, a hollow shadow of the father he once was, Mikhael realised, chances are, that was going to be him, one day. Five minutes passed. Mikhael stood up.

“Do you know how to roast veg?” he asked, looking down at Russell.

“…Yeah.”

“Do you know how to make a tomato sauce?”

“Probably.”

“Can you cook a chicken?”

“No.”

“Come on. That isn’t the man I heard about.”

“…I can learn.”

“Come on,” Mikhael said, “we’re cooking your daughter dinner tonight.”

Kel >>> Aubrey  
Friday 1:35 pm  
Kel: Yo  
Kel: Aubrey  
Kel: When do you think you’ll see Sunny next?  
Aubrey: Anyone ever teach you about full sentences?  
Aubrey: Not for a while. I’ll probably go up to see his new school if he gets in though.  
Kel: That’ll be before me, do you mind if I order his gift to yours and you can bring it with you next time you’re up?   
Kel: Hypocrite.  
Aubrey: Oh, sure  
Aubrey sent a photo  
Aubrey: Those are my deets for the address.  
Kel: Thanks!  
Kel: Does your mom handle post?  
Aubrey: Yeah, most of the time. Why?  
Kel: Oh well I’ll have to make sure its addressed to you…  
Aubrey: Kel whatever you’re planning  
Aubrey: Stop it.  
Kel: Well I was just thinking… the site you sent me to seems perfect for Sunny!  
Aubrey: Kel.  
Kel: Thick? Or thin?  
Aubrey: KEL.  
Kel: Long… Or short?  
Aubrey: Kel I swear to fucking god.  
Kel: Spikey or smooth…?  
Aubrey: Kel I will snap you like a twig.  
Kel: You say that like you could catch me.  
Kel: Anyway… what do you think, Aubrey?  
Aubrey: What do you want?  
Kel: What? :)  
Aubrey: What. Do. You. Want?  
Kel: …  
Kel: Just some help finding a present for Sunny, is all! :)  
Aubrey: As if I didn’t need another reason to change my address. I swear, I’m going to move up to Sunny’s.  
Kel: That’s the sweetest threat you’ve ever given me! 

Basil hadn’t stopped ranting since Kel caught up with him. Strings of disconnected anger, some about today, some about three years ago, some about last week. Basil continued to rant as they made their way onto the field they saw on the way there, past the back of the school, on a bench by a pond closeby.   
Basil was crying the entire time. 

Kel could only listen, and that was fine. He let Basil’s words flow over him as he shouted and whined until eventually, he had yelled himself hoarse. But Kel’s hands were shaking, he looked down at the pavement the entire time, he made sure to sit at least two paces away from Basil – simply put, he was scared.

“I don’t even know if I’m upset at her being an uptight asshole, or if I’m upset at her situation! I don’t even know if I feel sorry for her or not I’m just… angry.”

“Yeah…” Kel looked off, he felt his ears ring, he felt shellshocked.

“I Just… I feel like a child! Don’t I get to know what goes on in my friends life? Don’t I get to HELP? Don’t I get to do something for her? Feel less than a floundering… fucking… fish out of water?? Make a positive change, for once?” Basil ran his fingers through his hair, “I do feel sorry for her. I just… want her to let herself be helped, but I can’t do that. I feel like I’m just another one of her dogs she’s training. Fuck it, lets go home, Kel. I’m fed up.”

“Basil.”

“What?”

Basil looked over at Kel, he had tried to fortify himself like he saw Polly and him do, but his lips were wavering, his eyes couldn’t make contact, “You’re being… really aggressive right now and honestly, it scares me.”

Another searing flash of anger, “What? So I’m happy all the time and that’s good but when I’m MAD it’s bad??”

“No!” Kel cried, “I just… I’m scared, Basil. You’re… you’re reminding me of Aubrey.”

Basil’s eyes opened wide before he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, letting out yet another haggard sigh, “I’m sorry, Kel. I’m just… I’m angry. It all sucks. I'm fed up of being a child..."

"Basil..."

"I know. I can deal with this in a better way... I think I need some time. Alone. I’m ordering a taxi back. Do you want to come?”

“…No. I think I’m gonna stay here. I… I love you dude but I don’t think I can be around you right now.”

“That’s fair. Love you too. Speak soon, alright?”

“Text me when you get back.”

“Will do.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Kel walked away, plagued with doubt, wondering if he deserved to be Basil’s friend after telling him that, but he couldn’t be there anymore. He needed time.

Aubrey >>> Hero  
Friday 2:29pm  
Aubrey: Your little brother is a sociopath.  
Hero: You deserved it.

“I smell burning, I SMELL BURNING!” Mikhael cried.

“WHERE?!?” Russell shouted, quickly scanning over the four bubbling saucepans, hurriedly mixing the potatoes to stop them from foaming over. The air was rife with the hissing of frying and the bubbling of various liquids. It was thick with heat, smells of different spices, and smoke.

“Why do you have the heat up so high?!” Mikhael yelled, reaching under Russell’s arm to turn down the heat on the potatoes.

“They won’t cook otherwise!” He retorted, tossing the cabbage in a slap-dash fashion.

“Of course they will! They just take longer! Which is GOOD! We don’t want them to get cold! God, I thought you said you were a stay-at-home dad!”

“Yeah! Fifteen years ago! A lot of things change, kid!”

“What do you even eat now?!”

“Microwave meals…”

“GOD!”

“Anyway I need some garlic can you chop me up some?” 

“What?! You said we didn’t need any more!”

“I forgot about the asparagus!”

“We don’t have any! I used it all on the chicken stuffing!!”

“What!? Alright just give me the rest of the chillies…”

“I used all the chillis on the tomato sauce…”

“WHAT?!” 

“Hey guys what’s going- CUH, god,” Kel stumbled through the back door, “why is there so much smoke??” 

“DON’T COUGH!” They both yelled simultaneously.

“ _What do you want me to do, then?! What the hell are you guys doing?!_ ” Kel wheezed, his eyes bulging.

“Kid! You’re fast, right?” Russell asked, fishing around in his pocket. Kel could only nod in reply, “Good! Take this,” Russell threw his wallet at Kel’s chest, “We’re cooking this for Polls, if you see her, don’t tell her! Go and get some garlic, onions, chilis and some Budweiser!” 

“NO BEER!” Mikhael yelled, hurriedly chopping up tomatoes.

“Oh come on! It's for basting the chicken!” Russell blatantly lied.

“Like hell, it is you alcoholic shit! Just the first lot, not the beer… actually, grab a bottle of coke.”

“OH! Now, who wants drinks!!” Russel accused Mikhael,

“This drink won’t be the one to send you into cardiac arrest, fatso!”

Aubrey >>> Basil  
Friday 5:41 pm  
Aubrey: Yo, Bas. What kind of anime does Sunny like to watch?  
Basil: Uuh… Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mobile Suit Gundam, Fullmetal Alchemist, Sailor Moon, One Piece :D Does that help?  
Aubrey: What the fuck are those even words  
Basil: Aubrey you’re gonna absolutely lose it when I introduce the concept of foreign languages to you :D  
Aubrey: Alright you lil shit who taught you to be so snarky?  
Basil: You, ironically :D  
Basil: But why are you asking me?  
Basil: :D  
Basil: Sorry forgot that  
Basil: :D  
Basil: forgot that one too :D  
Basil: … Aubrey?  
Basil: :D

Kel made a mental note to ask Mikhael for advice on how to insult people like that, or Polly’s dad on how to take them as well as he did. But at that moment in time, Kel focused on jogging at a respectable speed, on track for the small corner-shop at the corner of Russell’s road. The sleepy road rarely had any cars on it, instead, Kel would often jog past bicyclists and dog walkers who would return his cheery ‘hiya!’s with smiles he wasn’t used to. He could get used to a small village like this... 

Four shops lined the road corner: laundrettes, hairdressers, a takeaway, and a corner-shop. Kel pushed open the old door which lay between two smeared windows and under a dilapidated sign which read “Redways”. A bell rang overhead as Kel surveyed the cramped shop. Waist-height shelves stacked with all sorts of off-brand sweets and snacks lined the shelves in front of him, and he saw a large fridge and freezer section towards the back. A few people were wandering around the store, but in the corner, two familiar figures were comparing the prices of sandwiches. 

“Polly! Angel!” Kel called, scooting through the maze-like isles. Angel gave him his trademark cocky smile whilst Polly seemed more bashful the closer Kel got, “Is everything okay?” Kel asked, reaching the two.

“Yeah, we’re cool now, just had to cool off, y’know?” Angel explained, “where’s Basil?”

Kel looked to the ground awkwardly, “He… he hasn’t cooled off, I don’t think he’s going to for a while…” Polly and Angel shared a knowing look.

“That’s probably for the best, Basil wasn’t… the nicest to me, either, I’m cooled off but I don’t think I’m ready to see him again right now, I’m still upset with him.” Polly explained in a very rehearsed manner, “Oh god… where am I going to stay?” she asked, looking to Angel, who just shrugged.

“Hold on, I’ll text Aubrey,” Kel said, fishing for his phone.

“Aubs? No way she’ll let someone stay!” Angel quipped,

“I have leverage…” Kel spoke darkly.

Kel >>> Aubrey  
Saturday: 4:49  
Kel: Hey, Aubrey, how long is your mom gone for?  
Aubrey: Like two months, why?  
Kel: You sure she hasn’t just left forever?  
Aubrey: I wish  
Kel: Can you let Polly crash at yours for the foreseeable future?  
Aubrey: no fucking way man it took me years to let Clean Freak Hero see my house, you think I’m letting POLLY, the only actual ADULT in our group see it?  
Kel: About that Bad Dragon order, the delivery’s gonna be delayed by… idk… 2 months…  
Aubrey: FUCK YOU THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO YOU CAN’T KEEP DOING THIS TO ME MAN  
Kel: :)  
Aubrey: Fine, she’s sleeping on the couch tho.

Kel pocketed his phone with a satisfied smile.

“You’re all good, Polly! You are sleeping on the couch though…”

“I’ll take it. Why are you here, anyway, Kel?”

Kel’s eyes widened, “oh! Right! I need to-” his hand clapped over his mouth as he almost spilled the secret, “Turn around, you two, and don’t come back home for like half an hour- no, an hour. Got it?!” He ordered, turning Angel and Polly around by their shoulders.

“…Sure… Why?” she asked.

“No reason!” Kel replied incredibly conspicuously. Angel and Polly shared another look.

“…Got it.”

“Alright see you guys later!” Kel called, running off to the till with groceries.

Aubrey >>> Kel  
Friday: 7:37pm  
Aubrey: Alright Al-Kelpone, how goes the merch-search?  
Kel: Wow, how long did it take for you to think of that.  
Aubrey: Off the top of my head tyvm  
Kel: I’ve found a gundam figure for like $25  
Kel: It looks a bit shitty but what do you think? A fixer-upper for Sunny?  
Kel sent a photo  
Aubrey: Yeah that looks familiar, I think he’d like that.  
Kel: Sick, thanks!  
Aubrey: You say that like I had a choice.  
Kel: :)

As Kel walked past the front of Polly’s Dad’s house, he saw every kitchen window open, and through a window, Mikhael giving a pot of tomato sauce a dead-eyed stare. Chuckling to himself, Kel walked past the back gate and made his way into the house, noticing the clean corridor and a dusty old vacuum propped up in a half-cleaned living room. 

“Hey Mik, you doing alright? You looked a bit zoned out.” Kel asked, slipping a bottle of coke into the fridge. 

“Oh! Thanks dude, yeah I’m fine, just tired. Leave the veg on the side I’ll sort it out in a mo…” Mikhael replied

“No problem, I’ll handle it, what do you want done?”

“Just dice a couple garlic cloves and all the onion. Russell is in the shower, by the way.”

“Who?”

“Oh right, that’s Polly’s dad’s name, Russell.”

“Ah, he’s showering? I saw the corridor was cleaner, is that his doing too?”

“Yeah, we’re cooking for Polly tonight, so we’re tidying too. I should be working on it now but…” Mikhael gave another dead eyed stare towards the cooking, “I’m so goddamn tired after putting up with him…”

Kel chuckled good-naturedly, “You wanna talk about it? I’m a good listener, apparently.”

Mikhael sighed, “It’s just… I dunno. I’m grumpy.”

“Woah, really?” Kel said, his voice laden with sarcasm.

“Stuff it. I heard Polly had a crappy home and I assumed it was like mine, yknow? But this… it’s so much worse… He’s such a fucking child! Its not even funny, he just wastes away on his chair all day. The worst thing is, I get it. I get why he’s like this. I can’t really blame him for reacting the way he did.”

“Blame him for reacting to what?” Kel asked, thoroughly confused.

“Oh, fuck, sorry,” Mikhael said with a start, “I… I can’t really say, sorry dude, its his or Polly’s place to say, all I can say is it’s ... bad.”

“Like… how bad?”

“Sunny-bad.”

“oh shit.”

“Yeah… Um… anyway, how’re you doing? I see Basil isn’t back.”

“No. It was… scary, to be honest. I’ve never seen Basil like that, it hurt a lot. Since Sunny moved, he’s been my best friend. He’s the reason I passable grades, he’s kept me calm through all my arguments with Aubrey when Hero’s been too busy with her or work, he helped me deal with everything around Mari, but I’ve never seen him like that. It really hurt.”

“did he run off?”

“No, that’s the worst thing, I left him. I ran off because he was scaring me, he was saying some really worrying shit and I couldn’t be around him like that.”

“You did the right thing.”

“It didn’t feel like it.”

“It doesn’t always, but take it from me, he would have eaten you from the inside out like that. You did the right thing separating yourself, if he’s saying scary stuff which is hurting you, you gotta look out for No. 1, you know that?”

Kel smiled, looking over at Mikhael, “Mik, where’d you learn that phrase?”

Mikhael gave him a wry grin back, “come on, we both know. For all Sunny’s stupid phrases, there are some good ones in there.” He turned back to the hob, turning down the temperature on the potatoes. 

“At least my parents care about me.” He said hollowly.

“I think Russell cares about Polly.” Kel replied simply, Mikhael sighed, “its just… complicated.”

“Its all fucking complicated.”

Polly >>> Hero  
Monday: 11:37am  
Polly: Hi Hero  
Hero: Hello, Polly! Hope you’re well :)  
Polly: I’m fine, thank you! I just wanted to let you know that I just saw Aubrey hand off a massive cardboard box to Kel at the park, who was holding a bag from the local art store and honestly, I’m worried for the safety of…  
Polly: The Town.  
Hero: Give me a moment.

Mikhael was not letting Polly through the back door. Which was a shame, really, because Polly was in a much better mood. The reason behind her mood was a mystery, she didn’t know if it was because of letting out all her anger or being a bit more honest with her personality since then. However, the yellow-haired kid was pushing his luck.

“So you’re not letting me through, Mik.” Her voice was thoroughly pissed off.

“Nope!” he answered with an uncharacteristically happy grin.

“Why not.”

“Can’t say, sorry.”

“When can I go in?”

“Eventually.”

“Can you be less vague?”

“Maybe…”

“What about me?” Angel asked

“oh, sure Angel.”

“Mikhael it’s my goddamn house, let me in.”

“So… Polly… catch up with any friends whilst you were here?”

“Don’t sour my mood, Mik.”

Polly could hear the running of Kel’s footsteps before she heard his voice. “HEY! Mik! Your turn, I got this.” Mikhael gave way to a very well-dressed Kel, wearing a slightly frayed suit and a red tie with his hair tied into a neat ponytail.

“Kel. Why the hell are you in a suit? Where did you even get that?!”

“Stay vague, dude!” Mik simply said patting Kel’s shoulder as he walked behind him.

“Come on, Kel.”

“No can do Polly, sorry.”

“Kelsey Jennings.” Polly ordered, her voice hardening instantly, she found a vindictive satisfaction from watching the strength drain from his face as it was replaced with a mix of fear and regret.

“Oh no… Polly… please…” He practically begged.

“If you don’t let me in…”

“No…”

“I will call up your mother…”

“No please…”

“And I will tell her about…” 

“Please??”

“…the time you got shitfaced at Basils.”

“ALRIGHT!” Kel yelled, walking inside and throwing his arms up in defeat, Polly shot a smug look at Angel, who looked somewhere inbetween impressed and scared. “at attention, boys!” he called down the corridor. Polly heard Mikhael’s voice echo back up,

“You’re useless, Kel!”

“Fuck off, Maverick.” he retorted.

Polly stepped onto sparkling clean tiles, down a freshly hoovered corridor. Pictures hung balanced on the cleaned walls. The polished doors gave way to clear bedrooms, recovered, stitched or just for now, covered mattresses. The front room had its TV switched off, its pillow covers washed, its seats firmly scrubbed, and its floor bare of any cans. Polly elected to ignore the dust on top of the television, her mouth was a small ‘o’ of amazement. Although there was safety tape slung across the stairs, the wooden planks were nowhere to be seen. Polly also chose not to notice the mould on the cracks of the stairs.   
She looked down towards the kitchen where she saw her father, dressed in a dusty old suit and a white dress shirt. His freshly showered white hair puffed up, and Polly could see that he was being supported by Angel behind him, who was trying to hide from her whilst supporting his unbalanced posture. 

“…Dad?” her voice was as shellshocked as she felt.

“Hi Polls.” He smiled. When he stood up… well, he certainly wasn’t fit, but he looked so much healthier, “Care to join us for dinner?”

“…Yeah, sure. Who’s joining us?”

“Just the kids, minus Basil.” He replied, they were still just standing on opposite ends of the corridor, but neither of them moved, like closing the distance will break what semblance of a crappy bond the two shared. But Polly was tempted along by the smell of cooked chicken which wafted over to her. 

“Sure, let’s eat…” she said, walking forward still in a daze. The kitchen was clean, too. Washed pots piled high on towels, left to drain all across the mantlepiece, Kel and Mikhael both in slightly-too-big suits. She saw Kel filling a vase of plastic flowers up with water before Mik promptly smacked him on the back of the head for his stupidity. The table had a checkered red and white cloth on it and was laden high with fried, steamed, boiled, and mashed vegetables. A sizeable Dutch oven took center stage, filled high with tomato sauce, mozzarella and chicken.

“This is…” Polly started, but couldn’t finish.

“…Pretty good, right?” Mikhael boasted. 

“Holy fuck guys, what did you do??” Angel asked as he shuffled onto a seat alongside the others.

“Turns out when you put Kel to work he’s the speediest man you’ll meet. It’s a shame he’s so lazy…” Mikhael commented with theatrical sarcasm from across the table.

“I mean… I did start whilst all of y’all were snooping around!” Kel replied pointedly and fussily, only to receive a look that could only be described as an _‘are-you-kidding-me’_ look from Angel. 

“You’re turning into your brother, Kel.” Polly commented, causing Mikhael to scarf his broccoli with laughter.

“Told you!” The blond cried, much to Kel’s annoyance.

Angel raised an eyebrow and leaned over the table, fishing some cabbage from a bowl, “And whose snooping got us all here in the first place?!”

“and whose cooking got us here in the first place?” Russell retorted smugly,

“It was your food-burning which made this take so long, mothball!” Mikhael murmured through his chicken, giving Polly’s dad the stinkiest side-eye.

“You know my name, Mik.” He responded deadpan.

Polly almost spat out her tomato sauce in laughter, “hearing you call him Mik just sounds wrong, dad.”

“I can call him The Maverick if you’d like…” he said with a sly look to her and a grin.

“Which one of you fucks told him about that?!” Mikhael yelled to everyone’s uproarious laughter. 

“God… I remember when Angel used to worship the ground The Maverick walked on…” Kel reminisced wistfully, watching with glee as Mik and Angel looked down, embarrassed.

“Do you guys go back, then?” Russell asked through his mashed potatoes.

“They were enemies for a while, surprisingly,” Polly commented.

“Yeah… there was… Miscommunication, involving Basil and another friend, we… yeah… Luckily we’re still chatting” Angel trailed off, his eyes shifting guiltily.

“You know, Polls,” Russell began, looking over, “Lindsey lives in Overthehill nowadays.” Just hearing someone else say her name again… It felt like a pin dropped in the echo chamber of Polly’s chest, a simple statement that grew into a roar of emotion.

“…Really? I… didn’t think I’d hear about her again…” she replied, the gravity of the shock coming out fully in her voice.

“Yeah, her and Terrance chat online frequently. I think they’re dating, but I haven’t asked.”

“You should.” Mikhael almost ordered.

“Any… Any news on Frankie?” Polly asked, not sure what answer she was afraid of.

“She’s still living at her parents.”

“So you’re telling me… she’s here?”

“You know she’s here, she never moved, Polly.”

Polly just looked down, studying the tablecloth with deep concentration. Frankie was… a road away. A two-minute walk and she could ring her doorbell. The thought of that made her stomach churn. How had she changed? Polly's reclusion, ignorance of her knocks, her letters, her desperate plea yelled through the door... she couldn't. Not today Another day. For now, she was happy here.

Aubrey >>> Kel  
Wednesday 3:22pm  
Aubrey: Kel istfg stop ordering your shitty spaceboy mags to my house  
Kel: Revenge for snitching on me with Hero. Over ACRYLLIC PAINTS!  
Aubrey: stfu it wasn’t ME  
Kel: LIAR  
Aubrey: I will shred this magazine.  
Kel: Oh crap sorry I’ll pick it up now  
Kel: What issue is it?  
Aubrey: 43?  
Kel: THE ISSUE NUMBERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAG  
Kel: YOU’VE BEEN READING MY SPACEBOY MAGS  
Aubrey: FUCK!!! OFF!!!

Kel, Angel, and Mikhael were in the car. Polly had just slammed the boot and got up to see her dad waiting by the gate, his fingertips white from gripping the frame for balance. 

“I thought I’d come to see you off, in person this time.” He said with an apologetic smile. 

“You don’t have to dad, you… that can’t be easy.”

“Just give yourself this, Polls. You’ve earned it. And…” He held out a small slip of paper, “This is for you, it’s Lindsey’s number, I got it from Terrance.” Polly looked at the slip of paper with fear… she had half the mind to rip it up right there. “I also gave a copy to Kel, so if you don’t phone her, he will.” Polly pocketed the paper, “it was his idea.”

“Did he say why?”

“He told me it’s what Basil would’ve done.”

Polly sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. He was right. 

“I’m sorry, dad, but I have to go for a bit. I don’t like the woman I am here. I’m angry, I’m rash, I’m stupid. I will be back but… Not now. I need time.”

Her father looked down, distracted, until his head rose and he focused his eyes on her, and she saw a small shadow of the man who raised her.  
“Listen, Polls. You’re the only one in this family who can get out there. Don’t take that for granted, and don’t feel bad for going around, living life. You’re so young! I’ll be able to take care of myself.” There was worry in his voice, but there was also a nostalgic, quiet liveliness.

“Are you sure this is okay?” she asked, but Russell, for the first time Polly had heard in years, laughed.

“What? You think Terrance hasn’t gotten mad at me and hired a babysitter for me from time to time? I’ll get Sharon over, she’s patient, maybe she’ll help me re-learn the kitchen!” Polly blinked. It seemed so obvious, but why would Terrance not tell her? Its not like they talked about anything else.  
It’s not like they talked.

She saw her dad stare down the bottom of the garden, a strange smug surprise on his face. Almost automatically, “It seems like someone’s come to see you off.”

Polly stared down the garden, and standing there, just behind a familiar gravestone at the bottom of the garden, an elegant, proud doe stood. They locked eyes for a brief moment, Polly and the doe, she swore that it looked familiar… But before she could think any more, it bounded off into the woods, leaving her eyes resting on the moss covered, lichen pockmarked, grey stone.

“Taken from us too soon.  
Fauna Gardenia.”

Polly felt tears prick her eyes. _‘Fuck,’_ she thought, _‘I was doing so good’._ Not letting herself think anymore, she threw her arms up and around her dad’s neck, almost pushing him, then pulling him off balance. She felt his head fall into her shoulder, she could feel the tears on her neck. One sturdy, familiar arm wrapped tightly around her back and for a second, she was a child again. For a second, Terrance could walk. For a second, mom was alive.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…” Russell said in a barely audible whisper. Polly opened her mouth to say that it was okay, but it wasn’t.

“Thank you,” She took a step back, her eyes still damp, still sniffling. She threw up a pathetic smile, “See you soon, dad.”

He mirrored her smile back and just waved as she got in the car.

The car was silent as she entered, she felt all eyes on her. “You okay, Polly?” Kel asked from the passenger seat.

“Yeah, and I’m not lying this time.”

Sunny >>> Kel  
Friday: 1:20pm  
Sunny: you know how hard it is to buy things for Aubrey  
Kel: All too well, brother  
Sunny: trying to start early for xmas, any ideas?  
Kel: The perfect one  
Kel: Do you have a comic book store which sells Captain Spaceboy?  
Sunny: she likes cpt space? never told me.

Aubrey >>> Kel  
Friday: 6:33pm  
Aubrey: Hey, Kel, sweetie. Two questions?  
Kel: What’s up?  
Aubrey: 1. Why has Sunny sent me 9 cpt spaceboy memes in the past hour?  
Aubrey: 2. Can you give me a good reason to not break your legs?  
Kel: Share the love, Aubrey!  
Aubrey: Its on sight and I’m looking. Start running stickboy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I! FUCKING! DID IT!  
> I'm SO GOODAMN TIRED with this chapter, I LOVE it but editing it was SUCH a pain. I'm getting a lot of creative burnout and have been feeling tired recently so don't expect an update for a couple weeks...
> 
> Comments are loved as always! As are YOU! HA! GOTCHA
> 
> Aubrey next chapter! The end of this fic might be closer than you think...


	6. Aubrey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aubrey is nothing if not an expert juggler. Juggling her long-distance relationship, her friends, her other friends, and her studies, but with recent developments in her friendship groups, she's reaching the end of her tether. Will she let go before the stress gets too much? Or will everyone else's stress cause her to go up in flames?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You see, in my fic planning document (which just hit its 100th page!! Woo!!) next chapter is the last chapter. However, that didn't account for all the new characters, storythreads, hints, and side characters who have become main characters. A good story needs to end well for it to be a good story, so I'm gonna do a LOT of thinking over the next few chapters. I already have a new idea of how I'd like to end it, so we'll see!

`Dear Sunny,`

`How’ve you been? Don’t reply to this letter until you get your results back! I think if I get one more letter without knowing if you got in, I’ll explode. `

`Speaking of exploding, Polly’s moved in recently, and when she walked into my bathroom, she almost popped. So against my better judgment, the house is getting a makeover. It’s good though! It's forcing me to take a break from reading another word of Thomas Aquinas. I thought I saw him in the mirror the other day, is this what you have to live with every day?  
…Was that tasteless? Tell me if it is.`

`I took your advice on the dress, and I found the cutest bunbun crop-top, but you’re only seeing that one when you can come down. Maybe it’ll be an incentive! In response to your last letter, yes, I will find shorter jeans, and if I can’t find them, I will make them, don’t fuckin test me, dude. The day they start selling denim thongs will be a better day for humanity.`

`Speaking of better for humanity, the opposite of that, Kel, got you something recently. He’s actually been worried to the point of blackmail about it so you should totally text him at some point. I think he’d appreciate you reaching out to him. Like a massive, loud, energetic, dumb Labrador would.`

`How does it feel being free of the shackles of studying? Hope it's nice in paradise, hope you’re sipping mimosas and… whatever you sober people do. Meanwhile, I’m seeing St. Gregory The Great in the clouds. I’d ask you to pray for me but… please… don’t…`

`Lots of love x  
Aubrey`

Aubrey put her pen down and leant back, stretching over the back of her deskchair. Her eyes flicked to the clock next to her desk. 3:42pm, Kim was meeting her in twenty minutes. She sighed, slowly picking herself up, it felt like her joints were rusted. Her mind flickered from topic to topic like a fly against a window pane. She needed a shower, if not for Kim’s sake, then for her own. Seeing something which wasn’t the brown walls and ceiling of her loft room would feel like a vacation. She didn’t even know why she was in the loft, her mom wasn’t coming back for another month and three weeks. She could literally be anywhere else, but she always found herself coming back here. Standing up, she looked down at the strewn notepads and textbooks which carpeted the table, as well as a considerable area around her workdesk. Three full notebooks, 8 textbooks read, yet she still couldn’t tell you Aquinas’ stance on impossible requests. 

The shower was good. Hot water scraped down Aubrey’s back like red-hot nails. She saw the errant bleached blonde strand in her pink hair. She needed a re-dye, but that sounded like so much effort wasted on trivial things. ‘No one could judge her looks if no one could see her’ she thought, knowing damn well how stupid that was. She breathed out a sigh, brieflyt debating trying to grab a pack of cigarettes when she was out, but she knew Kim wouldn’t allow her to get that bad. The list of people who would kill her if they saw a cigarette between her forefingers was as long as her arm. _‘God… why can’t taking care of yourself be easy?’_

* * *

“Woah Aubs, you showered! What’s the occasion?”

“Watch it, Kim,” Aubrey warned as the two briefly hugged on Aubrey’s doorstep, “are you cool to go right away?”

“Lead the way!” She grinned, the two instantly fell in step.

“I have to post some letters on the way, do you mind if we take a detour to the park?” Aubrey asked.

“All cool with me,” Kim responded, “What’re they for?”

“Charlie needs a reference for something or other, its over 18s so I put mine in, just gotta post it… I’ve got a letter for Sunny and I’m gonna send Mik $20 for him, Vance and Russell to get a takeaway or something.”

Kim simply replied by letting out a low whistle, “Woah. You’re really good at this looking after people thing, huh.”

Aubrey’s face flushed with proud embarrassment, “I try. You guys have done the same for me countless times. Plus… It’s not like I’ve been around much recently.”

“Oh, speaking of Mik, did you see the picture of him the other day?”

“No?”

Kim opened her new blackberry, scrolling through files until she found a picture of Mikhael. He was crouching in dark green overalls, looking up at the camera and grinning widely with his too-white teeth. Oil and grime stains were smeared across his face but that and the spanner he held in his left hand oddly suited him well. “He’s learning how to plumb with Russell.”

“What the fuck how does he look that good he’s up to his tits in grime.” Aubrey muttered,

“I know right? Unfair.”

“Imagine P!nk dressed like that though.”

“Kim you can’t tempt me away from my boyfriend like that.”

“Imagine what Sunny would say if you said you were ditching him for P!nk.”

“He’d understand,” The two cackled at that thought for a moment, “I gotta say though, I admire Mik’s willingness to learn, from Russell no less. He was fuming when Polly brought him home.”

“I think it’s good for him!”

“Oh, definitely, and good for the old man, too. He needs some company who is willing to interact with him.”

“Hey! Polly’s brother might!”

“Dude have you heard her talk about him?”

“…Yeah that’s fair.”

“What's everyone else up to at the moment?”

“When Vance isn’t salvaging car parts he’s giving Mik lifts to Russell’s, Angel’s on Basil duty, Charlie’s working at the bakery… yeah, that’s it.”

“Everyone’s keeping busy, then.”

“We try to, I feel like we all haven’t gone out in so long though… like the hooligans, your gang, everyone.”

“Kim we went out like, three weeks ago.”

“Aubrey I’m 21!! I should be getting drunk off my tits every Friday! I shouldn’t have to ever remember a Saturday for the entire year!!” Kim complained with mock-exasperation as Aubrey felt the tell-tale buzz of a text notification on her phone. She elected to ignore it.

“Go to college, then.”

“Oh keep talking shit straight-A delinquent, hope it isn’t too cold up there on your high horse!”

Aubrey laughed at that one, ignoring the second buzz, “Hey! That was good!”

“Thanks, it’s Vances,” At the third buzz, Aubrey gave in, rooting around in her pocket, “What's up?”

“Kel’s texting me, and because he doesn’t care for petty things like his fucking bank account it takes him 9 texts to get out 4 words.”

Kel >>> Aubrey  
Thursday 4:23  
Kel: Aubrey!!!!!  
Kel: I!!!!!!  
Kel: Have!!!!!  
Aubrey: please for the love of god use proper grammar  
Kel: A!!!!!  
Kel: Screw you you messed up my flow  
Aubrey: What do you want  
Kel: Come round mine tonight I have an idea…….  
Aubrey: No.  
Kel: DO IT!!!!!  
Aubrey: Will this get me killed  
Kel: No.  
Aubrey: Will this get you killed  
Kel: Maybe.  
Aubrey: I’m in.

Aubrey looked up from her phone, “If I die, will you kill Kel for me?”

“You’re finally giving me an excuse!”

* * *

`Hi Aubrey`

`You’ll be thrilled to know I got into Outerstate University! Mom said I’ve done Mari proud. I hope she’s right..I don’t start until September, so I have a lot of time to point and laugh at you. Thank you for mentioning my famous Mimosas. They taste like success. That and pineapple juice. Do they have pineapple juice in them? Pineapple juice is good. Drink pineapple juice.`

`Life up here is good. I’ve been spending most of my time staying at home and being sober. It's so refreshing! You should try it sometime. Other than that I’ve just been screwing around at the arcade most days with Geroge, he says hi by the way, I hope you can meet him soon, you two are both the sarcastic asshole types, you’ll get on so well.`

`Send my condolences to Polly, why has she moved into yours? Is Basil okay? I haven’t texted him recently, should I? I’m glad you have someone else with you in the house. No matter how shitty your mom is, an empty house is lonely. It's good she’s forcing you out of your room! I know you’re sick of hearing it but… are you sure theology is for you? You shouldn’t have to suffer for your passions. Struggling is one thing, but I can see how it's upsetting you. I trust you’ll make the best decision for yourself though. Sorry if I’m intruding. I love you.`

`I texted Kel, he’s… Kel. You were right though, he was happy to hear from me, and it's always nice to have a friend who appreciates your memes for the artwork that they are. I hope you’re keeping up with your own friends? How’s the pastor been? I miss that man, he seemed very nice.`

`Speaking of the pastor, I’ve enclosed a letter for Mari, would you mind if you passed it on for her? I’ve included a $10 bill for flowers too if you can.`

`As for your joke, it was incredibly tasteless.  
Love, as always.  
Thomas Aquinas.`

* * *

The church was good. It was calm. It meant that Aubrey didn’t have to think about the infuriatingly awful plan that Kel approached her with yesterday. The church also felt much smaller than it was when Aubrey first walked in of her own choice. That day, the was preacher nowhere to be seen. The massive stained-glass windows were incomprehensible, the stone walls and floor was cold, the air was dusty. The red carpet seemed to stretch endlessly to a door.  
To Mari.

_Preacher Jordan found her when she eventually came back from paying her respects to Mari. He didn’t say anything, but he smiled and nodded his head, but the grief-stricken Aubrey didn’t really clock his presence. She kept on returning, though. Eventually her anger woke her up to the world, her ignorance from passive to deliberate, but nonetheless it didn’t faze the then-young man._

_Aubrey remembered the first time she walked in on a service. She meant to go to Mari’s grave but she couldn’t exactly sprint across the church. It didn’t matter where she was, though, she was looking for refuge from her screaming mom. She slipped onto an empty pew at the back and listened to the preacher's words. She didn’t even clock that he was ending his sermon until she heard the footsteps of everyone starting to leave sounding like livestock. She slipped to the front of the church, but the preacher caught her, asking her name._

_“Aubrey.” She replied,_

_“I hope my lecture was alright…” Aubrey didn’t reply, “Its very scary, you know. I try my best to calm myself down but infront of all of those people… I can’t help but feel my hands shake.”_

_“Why are you talking to me?”_

_“…Well… To start a conversation!”_

_“You don’t know anything about me.”_

_“Well, I know your name is Aubrey. I know you’ve visited her the most, out there.”_

_Aubrey remembers scoffing bitterly, hearing that. ‘Sounds about right’ she thought. Everyone was happy to move along. Mari was no fun when she was dead, after all._

_“I can prepare some tea, or some coca if you would like. We can talk about it. You look weary, carrying all that pain.”_

_“Fuck off, prat.” Aubrey remembers spitting at him, storming down the hall, pushing over a chair as she went._

That man was her boss now. God, how times change. Today he was sat at the desk not far from his lectern, scribbling in a notebook with a laptop beside him. There was no service today, but he often came here for the comfort and air of the church.

“Whats up, Jordan? Preparing your sermon?”

Preacher Jordan looked up to meet her gaze, smiling warmly. He was only a bit over ten years older than her, but he was starting to develop laughter lines across his mouth and eyes and he hid his once glossy hair under a bowler hat. For the most part, he kept his boy-scout attractiveness which apparently made him the Hero of his generation, but age was catching him earlier than most. Aubrey secretly believed that it was the residual effect of being in a church for too long. “Morning, Aubrey! That I am, how are you, though?”

Aubrey sighed, running a hand through her tossed hair, only remembering now she forgot to brush it this morning. “I’m alright… If I see the name ‘Thomas Aquinas’ again today, I might break some crockery, though.”

Noting that, Preacher Jordan quickly turned his sheet of paper over, “I understand. You’re still stuck at that ‘wall’?”

“Yeah… I don’t know how you do it…”

“It just happens. You’ll reach a point, like a dam breaking with too much water behind. When you get all the knowledge it’ll have to fit into place eventually.”

Aubrey gave a grimace, “I hope so… God… ness… how do you get good at this talking stuff?” she asked through a sigh. Jordan just chucked.

“Experience, mostly.”

“Yeah but like… if you fu-” Jordan raised an eyebrow, “-udged up, that matters, right? How do you know you’re not gonna do damage with your advice? What if you’re wrong?”

“Aubrey, name me one thing I’ve taught you.” He challenged, sitting back on his chair and taking his reading glasses off.

“How to not be angry.” She instantly retorted.

“Did I teach you that?”

“Yeah I mean… oh shi-“

“Aubrey.”

“-ping fees. That’s a good point. But like… you guided me on the right path!”

“No I didn’t. You chose this path. Anyway, is there such a thing as a ‘right path’?” Aubrey crossed her arms and leant back slightly, frowning.

“I mean… its all pre-ordained, right?”

“As long as we take the path right for us, yes.”

“How do you make sure someone takes the right path? Even if you see them do bad things? How can you help them?”

“You can’t help those who don’t want to be, Aubrey. Plus, their path might not be one you know, or can help with…”

“Then what am I supposed to do? Leave them?”

“I made my way on the path I needed, you didn’t help me there. I went through many hardships, a lot of them self-imposed, as we all do, but I made my way through them. So many others have, are, and will.”

Aubrey sighed again, a look of realisation branding itself on her face, “God… I’m still a bit of a control freak, aren’t I?"

“Aren’t we all when faced with the stoicism of a cold, uncaring fate? Youth Club tomorrow, be there for 6!”

Aubrey was thankful for the fresh air she breathed as she exited the back of the church. Looking over to her left, she saw someone else who looked vaguely familiar-looking down at a familiar grave. A tall, brown-skinned woman with loose golden-brown curls. She wore a dark pink trenchcoat which she pulled around herself tightly. As Aubrey made her way to the grave, they briefly they made eye-contact, Aubrey saw her eyes were puffy and red.

“Rosie, right?” Aubrey asked without realising she was speaking. The girl’s eyebrows shot up.

“Yeah… do I know you?” she asked. 

“Oh right, I look different, I’m Aubrey, friends of Kel and Hero and M- Sunny.” Aubrey saw her eyes widen, “Listen its okay!” she quickly tried to patch up, “you just… looked sad. What’s up?” Aubrey wasn’t good at putting tenderness in her voice, but she tried. 

“Hi Aubrey… how’ve you been?” Her voice was low and quiet, but Aubrey was experienced with talking to shy people.

“I’ve been well! I’m just coming to visit Mari, you too?”

“yeah.” Her voice sounded choked.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah I’m… I’m fine. I’m… sorry.” She chose her words carefully, Aubrey could hear the wobble in her voice. 

“Hey there’s no need to apologise, it can be tough here.”

“No. No that isn’t what I’m apologising for…”

“What?”

“I’m sorry for… Killing Mari.”

Rosie might’ve well just taken a sledgehammer to Aubrey’s sternum, it would’ve produced the same effect. Her breath was gone. Her mind was racing. That wasn’t true. That couldn’t be true. Sunny told the Truth. For all Rosie knew, for all anyone knew, Mari died via h-

_Oh.  
Oh no.  
Oh fuck._

“Rosie, listen, no-one could’ve imagined Mari would do what she did. It’s not your fault, it's not anyone’s fault, she didn’t tell anyone, we couldn’t’ve ever known.” She felt the lies poured out of her mouth like black smoke. It felt so visible, so obvious.

“No. If we weren’t jealous. If we didn’t do what we did to her and Hero, she’d still be here today.” Aubrey honestly had no clue what she was talking about, which sounds like typical Mari. She had a nasty habit of keeping secrets. Rosie was openly weeping now, for what Aubrey assumed wasn’t her first time today. She thought back to Preacher Jordan’s words.

“Hey, come here,” she said, opening her arms out for a hug. Rosie fell into Aubrey’s arms as she sobbed quietly, “we’ll never know why Mari did what she did. It sounds like a lot for you to shoulder all of this. Come on, we have a confessional inside. Let's go somewhere more private.”

Rosie nodded as Aubrey lead her back towards the church, one arm still wrapped around her shoulders. As Aubrey walked towards the small side-booth, tucked to the side by the front of the church, she and the preacher shared a knowing look. Aubrey pushed past the blue curtain to a small booth, with two built-in benches and a low roof. 

“Okay, so I need to tell you before we start, all of this is strictly confidential, you can tell me as much or as little as you want, but if you say anything which, under my discretion, suggests that you’re going to harm yourself or others, I have to raise that, and only that, with outside authorities. Is that okay?” Aubrey always felt like an answerphone when she said that, but she got why it was important. Rosie nodded her head, “Alright, so you told me that you were jealous of Mari and Hero? Why was that?”

Rosie twiddled her fingers, “Well… me, Mari, Hero and Traci were all kind of a group in high school. And you know how people are then… people are constantly crushing on everyone and, well, who was the entire year crushing on but Hero? Mari was the perfect girl, and Hero was the perfect boy. But there was like an… agreement. No one would ask Hero out, it wasn’t fair on the rest of us.”

“But Hero asked Mari out.”

“Yeah, it surprised all of us. I don’t really blame Mari for it, for someone like Hero to build up the courage, you knew he was serious.”

“That must’ve hurt.”

“We were beyond angry, we were livid. And… I’m not sure if you know Traci but she has a way of getting what she wants, socially, that is. And I was so angry I urged her on. We spread nasty rumours, got them both in constant trouble, made school hell for them.” This was the first time Aubrey heard about any of this. It was strange, looking back, there was a sick sense of pride with how well she was able to hide her home from everyone, but she wasn’t the only one holding back those demons.

“Up until the day she died…” Rosie began to sob again, “We made her hate everything. We didn’t know it’d go that far! We just thought… I don’t know. We earned it.”

“You were both jealous of Mari, but that doesn’t mean that was the only thing going on in her life. Her pain wasn’t just from you all.” Aubrey’s words felt heavy and slimy like they were made out of congealed guilt.

“I wasn’t jealous of Mari. I was jealous of Hero.”

“What do you- oh. _Oh._ ”

“And I killed her. No one else knew, none of the adults cared. We just ruined them both from the outside, where no one saw us, and Hero can somehow still be polite to me. I took away his partner. We ruined his life.”

“Rosie. A lot has happened since then. It’s been almost ten years. That’s a lot of time, let alone the fact that we were all teenagers, we’re all completely different from who we were. Sunny is the quickest, wittiest guy now. Kel actually understands an emotion outside annoyance, Basil is fucking savage with his words… Hero swore the other day!! Don’t tell anyone about that. He’ll get mad at me.” Aubrey put on a soft, slightly ironic smile as she saw her laugh, “My point is. We all struggled with Mari’s death. But even after hearing you talk about this, that doesn’t change my view. You need-“ Aubrey re-evaluated her thoughts, “You feel guilty. But what would Mari think about that?” Aubrey felt like she had to cough her words out.

“I dunno…” she whispered through tears, “I don’t think she’d want me to…”

“She’d also probably say that you’re not alone,” Aubrey stated, pulling the curtain back just slightly to see a blonde-haired woman march down the aisle, primroses in arm.

“…Traci?” she whispered.

“Yeah, with primroses. Mari’s favourite kind. Always on a Saturday. Always at 11am. Look. I can’t say the magic words that will cure your guilt, but I can remind you to look around you, and don’t deny yourself happiness. Right now there’s a girl in the graveyard who you care about, and who cares about you. Make sure you look after each other, okay?”

Rosie simply nodded, drying her eyes. “Yeah. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got stuff in here to organise, I’ll see you around though, alright? I’m here often.” Aubrey held open the curtain, gesturing Rosie through. All the while, she did her damndest to keep that smile on her face. She listened closely as Rosie’s feet clicked against the carpeted stone and opened the graveyard door, but as soon as it shut, her façade dropped as she instantly burst into tears.

Because she could tell her the magic words. She could. But she won’t.

`Dear Thomas Aquinas,  
Go fuck yourself.`

`Dear Sunny,  
Whack George with a baseball bat for me, its my version of a high-five.`

`Basil’s not doing so hot, he had a big fall-out at Polly’s a couple days back, and he’s not letting anyone come in his house apart from Angel, not even Kel and he’s pretty beat up about it. The poor guy needs a break, constantly getting lashed out at. And I know I’m being a hypocrite, being one of the people, but it sucks to see it happen.`

`I delivered your flowers and letter, I saw Rosie there! Do you remember her? She was friends with Mari before her and Hero started dating. Wow, its weird to talk about Mari and Hero dating… Preacher Jordan is good! He talked to me about some stuff, and I think talking to him helped me take on board what you said about work. I’m still trying to give it its fair shot but he helped me realise I’m still a tiny bit of a control freak. I want to see if I can study it for a better reason though, being able to give that guidance that I found in the church was so helpful. I want to master it! At a higher level!`

`I’m sorry to bring it up, and I promise I’ll keep it to one paragraph, but I’ve found talking about The Truth to be really weird… Rosie think’s Mari’s death is her and Traci’s fault. She doesn’t know the truth, I had to console her on a lie. It was harrowing. Mari will always be known as a victim of suicide and that’s crazy, really. Not good or bad, just strange. I suppose a lot of our lives are dictated by the stories we leave behind. I hope our story is a good one.`

`Listen, Sunny. I know its hard, but I really miss you. I haven’t seen you in what feels like forever, and I know you’ve been studying and socialising and everything but I know what people putting walls up looks like, I’m something of an expert in the field. Things are… hard, and I think they’re only going to get worse. I need you here with me, I’m afraid how everyone will cope without you.`

`I’m sorry, I love you,  
- Aubrey`

Aubrey trounced downstairs, letter in one hand, pen in the other. She was feeling better now she had time to cool off and talk to Bun-Bun and Polly. Aubrey heard another, male voice as she made her way into the living room.

“Oh, hey Aubs!” Angel called, waving at her from the sofa, covering his yawning mouth with his other hand. Polly gave her a silent, knowing nod from the other side of the sofa as Aubrey half-heartedly waved at them both.

“Hey Angel, everything good?” she asked, plopping herself in a nearby chair.

“Yeah, just popped by to collect the rest of the food.”

“Good, good. How’s Basil?”

“He’s… better? And worse. He’s not ranting and raving anymore, but he’s got like this… quiet, cold anger to him. It's all super passive-aggressive, I have a list of things to not bring up the size of my arm.” Angel looked weary, bags were starting to form under his eyes as he yawned again. She felt a stab of sympathy for the kid.

“Angel, look… we can like… find an alternative, right? You look ragged, dude.”

“Kim tried knocking the other day. _Kim_! He won’t let anyone in his house apart from me, and I can’t leave him there, not on his own,” A deep determination crossed Angel’s face. Aubrey opened her mouth, but knew better than to challenge that stubborn look, “It’s honestly not that bad, Aubs. I’m just a bit worried about him, that’s why I look ragged. I’m not really used to worrying over someone. But I want to. It’s a choice I’ve made. If I was really suffering, I wouldn’t be there.”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“Hell no Aubs!! I pride myself on being, like, the only one of the hooligans with his shit together! If you wanna help so bad, why haven’t you knocked on his door yet?”

Aubrey spluttered out an attempt at words, before straightening up, “You really think that’d go well?? I tried to kill him at least twice. Three if you include the crumble I baked him last year!”

“You didn’t know he was allergic to peanuts!” Polly piped up. 

“It was… quite funny,” Angel remarked.

“Angel!” They both cried incredulously.

“Oh shoot me! His neck was completely gone and he was speaking in such a high pitch! It was like Violet Beauregarde!!”

“You’re awful.” Aubrey stated to Angel’s dark cackles.

“I think you deserve the tiredness you’re getting,” Polly said dismissively, flicking him in the temple.

“Ow! Anyway… how’s studies going, Aubrey?” Angel asked.

“Stressful, but… going. I’ve attacked it from every angle, you know? I don’t feel like I’m making a breakthrough.”

“You talked to anyone studying about it? Basil’s been helping me a lot, especially because he’s been through the exam-wringer.”

“Yeah, Hero always appreciates a visit from you, Aubrey.” Polly pointed out. Aubrey sighed, she was right, there were things she could be doing, it was hard though, tiring to admit that you’re tackling things the wrong way. Annoyingly, they had a point, “but yeah, Aubrey, why haven’t you tried knocking?” 

Aubrey internally winced, failing to change the subject, for a moment, she debated spilling Kel’s super-secret-awful-plan to everyone, but… she promised. “I don’t want to make him more stressed… alright?” 

“Alright, that’s fair, just… give it a go, alright? Or like… think about it?” Angel asked, standing up and picking up a few plastic bags from behind the sofa. 

“…Sure. Can you take this letter to the postbox, by the way?” Aubrey asked, reading forward to grip Angel’s hand before bumping shoulders. 

“Sure thing Aubs. Thanks for the drink and cash, Polly!” Angel called as he slipped out the door. Aubrey looked to Polly, puzzled. 

“Oh… Angel is picking up Basil’s food, but his parent's money comes through me, so its only fair that I pay Angel for his hard work and for the food.” Polly explained as she stood up and headed to the kitchen.

Aubrey nodded, sitting back in her chair, “Hey, Polly.”

“Hm?”

“Lets say, hypothetically, you met up with a friend and he has this, like, awful plan. It's reckless and dangerous but you got his point. You wanted to stop him but at the same time, if his plan worked, you’d feel so much better about loads of things. What would you do?”

“Is this still hypothetical?”

“oh, yeah, totally.”

“Well… if this hypothetical plan has good intentions, is there anything you can do to hypothetically help?”

“Probably, like, keep him hypothetically safe.”

“And this hypothetical person is pretty driven to do this hypothetical plan?”

“Super hypothetically driven.”

“It sounds like it's better if you’re hypothetically there to hypothetically help.” Polly stated, “otherwise, things could turn hypothetically bad.”

“Like hypothetical damage control?”

“Yeah, it's good to have a clean-up guy. Hypothetically.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Polly. For everything.”

“Say no more, Aubrey. It’s been…” Polly let out a sigh, running her hand through her hair, “it's been nice to take care of someone again. It’s… It’s important to me.”

Aubrey simply smiled, getting off the seat, moving forward to give Polly a hug, “well, it's much appreciated. From all of us, even if some of us never say anything.”

“Thanks, Aubrey.”

Aubrey >>> Hero  
Saturday: 3:23pm

Aubrey: Yo, Hero. You free tonight?  
Hero: Hi Aubrey! I’ve got nothing planned!  
Aubrey: Awesome, wanna meet up at Sheepshead? Get a drink?  
Hero: Sounds good, 8 good?  
Aubrey: Sounds good.

“Hey Aubrey!” Aubrey turned towards Hero’s voice, raising a knuckle. Hero put way too much concentration in getting the firstbump right, unsurprising, considering his social-antisocial nature. He waved down the barman, ordering a glass of water.

“How’s things going, Hero?”

“Good, good. Catching up with old school friends, doing some reading, it feels nice to cook and not worry about anything else, you know?”

“Yeah, I can imagine. Are your friends okay? Hi, beer please, whatever’s on the tap.” Aubrey slapped her money on the bar.

“They’re fine, yeah. It was strange, honestly, I hadn’t seen them in so long it all felt so formal and distant. How about you, anyway? How’s the church? How’s studying?”

“Well, studying is what I actually wanted to talk to you about…” Aubrey said carefully, tracing her finger around the rim of the glass, “It's been super tricky, I feel like I’ve been bashing away at the same wall for so long, the only thing I’m mastering is slamming my head against my desk.”

Hero looked up thoughtfully, sipping his glass, “Well… there’s always more to learn. You’re like… 20?”

“21.”

“Right. Either way, you’re not gonna have the same knowledge as some ancient professor! No matter how hard you try you’re not winning against him.”

“Yeah but I want to be able to study enough.”

“What is enough though?”

“When I feel satisfied.”

“Which is…?”

“I don’t know, but I will when I get there.”

“Aubrey, you’re setting invisible goalposts, and you’re just going to keep on running, not knowing you passed them ages ago. You can’t achieve success off of… ideas! You need to set yourself a tangible goal.”

Aubrey sighed, her forehead inches away from the bar, “Okay, yeah, that’s fair. But what about of individual study-sessions?” she asked, her voice muffled by her clothes.

“Well, how long does it take you to have to fight your concentration?”

“That’s just… part of studying, right?”

“…Okay… Let's put it another way… When do you start yawning when you have to study?”

“What are you calling the ‘start’ of studying? Before you open the textbook?”

“Are you sure this subject is for you?”

“Oh god not you too.”

“Studying isn’t meant to be a chore, Aubrey, especially at a higher level. Hard, yeah, but if you don’t enjoy it even a little bit, it’s not kind on you.”

“ _Oh god not you too…_ ”

Hero just chuckled, leaning back, “If enough people are saying it, maybe we have a point.”

“Yeah but… It feels so much like failure, you know? I worked so hard to get here, I’m just gonna throw in the towel, what, a month before exams?”

“Have you heard of the sunk cost fallacy?”

“Nope.”

“It’s a thing to do with gambling. It’s basically where a person has bet too much on one thing, where they feel like their money is still in their control like they can wrench it all back. Basically where someone’s gone so deep in that the only way they can justify their mistake is by carrying on until they win. It's applied to all sorts of things though, like time. You’ve spent so much time on this studying, that if the exam is naught, so is the blood, sweat, and tears you’ve had suffers that same fate.” 

“…Fuck.”

“Are you only studying for the exam?”

“…Yeah.”

“If you’re studying for the exam, you’re going to despise that course. Because it's all the same. It doesn’t magically change.”

“Yeah… I… I put a lot of thought into this, you know? It feels hard to give up.”

“Yeah.”

“Speaking of… uh, going in too deep and finding it hard to finally break that cycle, I’ve been thinking about Basil lately.”

“oh, yeah?”

“I’m like… the only one who hasn’t knocked on his door, and we haven’t really chatted properly one-on-one in… years. I don’t know how to go about it.”

“Why’s that? He’s Basil!”

“Exactly. He’s Basil. I don’t know if he likes me or not, and I’m not sure I’d cope if I found out he hated me. Not that he’d ever say. He’d just silently simmer.”

“Aubrey. He hasn’t spoken to you, either, this isn’t a one-way thing. He’s also probably scared. Just… try not to think of talking to him like giving up on silence, but starting anew.”

“Yeah but if I do that I have to admit I was wrong!”

“Aubrey.”

Aubrey responded with a harsh cackle as she downed the rest of her drink, “Nah, you’re right, thanks, Hero.” She flashed him one of her toothy grins, “Ay! Another beer?”.

“And a rum and coke, please.” Hero said, smiling despite himself.

“Oh, Hero! You naughty boy! What will mom and pops sa-AUGH!” Aubrey keeled over from Hero’s poe-faced jab in her kidney. 

Hero’s face eventually broke back into a grin, “Have a stab at it, though, alright? Go knock on Basil’s door. It’ll do you both some good.”

Its just a door.  
Its just a green door.  
Its just a green door with a window at the top. On a porch with flowerpots and wilting front garden. 

So why was it so hard to goddamn knock??

Aubrey had stood outside this door for too long now, any longer and she’d be attracting stares. Not the fearful, scornful ones she was used to, but the weirded-out ones. God. They were the worst. Looks of almost-pity… they have a way of getting under her skin.

What was she doing here again? Oh. Crap. Right. She lifted her knuckle to the door. She wasn’t good at this, she wasn’t social like Kel… or Kim… Those two would be pretty cute together actually. Though it might be hard to persuade Kim to give Kel a shot, she leans towards girls more than boys, but hey, Kel… could be feminine? Hm. Maybe not. Why’s that person looking at her funny- OH FUCK, RIGHT.

Aubrey turned back to the door. Her knuckle still raised. Maybe Hero had the wrong idea, he is quite a pushov- 

_Knock knock knock knock._

Oh thank god. Her hand moved on its own. Her ears strained to hear anything. Any noise. Any footsteps or shuffling or voices. Nothing. 

_Knock knock knock knock knock knock._

Aubrey opened her mouth to speak, only realising then she was holding her breath. She closed her mouth. Maybe she really should just go. She stepped off the porch, heading towards the pavement. Letting another sigh flow out, she steeled herself, hearing Hero’s naggy… annoying voice telling her the right thing to do. God, fuck the Jennings brothers for giving her a conscience. She walked back to the door.

 _Knock Knock Knock._  
“Basil?”  
Nothing.  
“Basil it’s me, Aubrey.”

…

Nothing.  
Aubrey bit back any smart remark she was going to make about being ignored, she didn’t know what she was going to say, but she could feel the smartassery just… bubbling in her stomach. She placed a hand on the door.

“Hey, Basil.” She called, “It’s been a really long time. I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you earlier. I… well… I was… I am… scared. I miss you, dude. And I know I don’t have any right to because I made your life a living hell for four years and I hurt you and never offered any support and did something worse than abandon you, I actively tried to hurt you. But I miss your rambles, your calmness, your reassurance. I miss your ability to listen and… and respond. And be quietly brave and share your own opinions and talk about plants to anyone who’d listen.” Aubrey turned around, leaning her back against Basil’s door.

“And I… I know I didn’t handle everything well, even after the truth. I let my grief turn to anger… and shame. I’m not angry at you. Not anymore. I was, but you know that. I know I have a bad habit of looking blank all the time when I’m actually… really fucking emotional inside, but I’m getting better, and I’d love for you to see.  
“I’m really proud of you for reaching out for Angel, though. He’s a reliable kid. He thinks the world of you, too. I think he appreciates someone whose not willing to constantly give advice, you know? We’re all older than him, so we have a habit of doing that… You should definitely apologise to Kel, though. He’s pretty torn up over everything, and from what I hear, you were pretty harsh. But honestly? Who am I to judge harshness.” She sank down, hugging her knees as she curled up on his front step.

“Please though, Basil. Talk to me soon. I miss you. We all do. I want to talk to you, about everything. Not with fear or judgment, just support. And I’m… I get anger. I get it well. And I want to help you. After all you’ve done for me, it’s the least you deserve. I’ll see you soon.”

* * *

`Hi Aubrey`

`I’ve sent Basil a text, he didn’t reply, which isn’t something he usually does, I’m going to continue to try until I reach him or annoy him first. It feels very strange to be the Kel in… well… any social situation. As for Rosie, I vaguely remember her. I’m glad she could talk to you, but that sounds really rough, if you see her again and it's appropriate, send her my best wishes. `

`I appreciate you listening to me about work. Its not easy to give up on so much effort. But you’re listening to me and I appreciate that so much. If you carry on, it’s absolutely fine, I just want to make sure you’re putting thought in for yourself. `

`I’ll come down soon, sorry. I just need time to hype myself up for it. Thank you for being patient with me, I won’t leave you down there on your own forever. I miss you so much. I promise, I won’t be long.`

`Love, as always  
Sunny  
PS: Don’t do anything stupid!`

“This is so stupid.” Aubrey muttered as she took a running start, vaulting from the small forest into Basil’s back garden. The dusk air was nice on her skin, and she saw burning yellow mixed with dark grey in the cloudy sky that evening.

“Aubrey! Dude. Bro. Pal. Sister. Mother. Aunt. Cousin. Third Remov-"

"Get to the point." 

"-It’ll be fine! I promise!” Kel reassured her, despite his thoroughly unbelievable words, he didn’t show any sign of doubt. 

Basil’s house looked as opulent as ever, large French sliding doors covered the back wall of the ground floor of the house, leading into a large kitchen. Not that they could see it now, all the shutters were down, and all the windows were shut save for one bedroom window in the centre of the second floor. Basil’s bedroom. To the far left of the back, there was a pipe of some sort which jutted out of one wall and re-entered lower down. Next to that was a few lower-down window ledges. Kel walked across the concrete patio that stretched about 10 feet out from the house, sizing up the tiny ledge at the top of the sliding doors, positioning himself far to the left.  
“Why the hell did Basil’s parents ever decide to get all those extensions…” Kel murmured.

“So, uh, Kel, what the fuck are you trying to prove?”

“Listen, Basil’s been practically on his own for over a week now, almost two. Like, I know he doesn’t want to see me, but he has to see someone! "

“Oh, yeah, I love that emotional support breaking and entering. True friendship right there.” Aubrey muttered with spite.

"It doesn't have to be that! More like… I don’t know, flushing him out?”

"He's not a fucking _rat_ , Kel."

“Hey! I’m trying my best, man!” Kel whined, hurt in his voice. She got part of what Kel was feeling. They all missed Basil, and she knew he was taking it the hardest. Plus, even Kel’s stupidest plans always had a reason behind them, to cause trouble to make someone feel better, or to take eyes off another issue. There was a slight glint of desperation in Kel’s eyes. Aubrey sighed. She’ll play along for now. 

“Sorry, what’s the plan?”

“Alright, give me a leg up, I can climb the rest of the way using the pipes and gutters, but I need you to get me up so I don’t scuff the sliding doors.”

“… Sorry, what?? You didn’t even bring a ladder??”

“They’d hear a ladder!”

“So you’re sneaking up on them. Do you understand how invasive this is?”

“Oh it's fine it’s not like we’re doing it at night!”

“Hi, there officer! Please ignore us. Yes, this is a B&E but it's during the day so everything’s okay.”

“God, Aubrey, live a little!”

Incredibly reluctantly, Aubrey crouched down on one knee and interlaced her fingers. Kel grinned joyfully, almost making Aubrey feel like she was doing something not entirely awful, before with one ‘hup!’ her legs straightened up and her arms bulged as she tossed Kel up into the air. The dude was athletic, easily catching himself on the ledge and flinging his feet up, quickly reaching over to a gutter pipe to steady himself.

The gutter pipe jutted out for a bit before it ran up the outside of the house. He positioned his foot in the small gap so it was secure, leaping off the tiny ledge and onto the pipe. One more leap and he was now crouching over the pipe, catwoman style.  
Extending his body in one fluid movement, he pounced onto a lower window ledge, now only a few leaps away from Basil’s room, but seemingly no way to get up.

“…Kel?” Aubrey called, a worried warning in her voice. She was shot down with a hissing shush from Kel, though, who had positioned the side of his body against the window, digging both his hands into the cracks between bricks before.

_Whoosh… Tap tap tap, Badumph._

Kel flew into a leap with the skill of a mountain goat. The wall only made contact with the side of his shoes but he still made three leaps across the back wall of the house, as if he was stepping on nothing. Aubrey could hear his breathing from all the way at the bottom, which now seemed much higher up. She swallowed as she saw Kel re-adjust himself on the wooden ledge, this one longer, easier to fit on than the others. Kel looked down to Aubrey and gave a thumbs-up-

_KRRRRACK_

The memory of what happened next would be in slow motion. The noise was what caused Aubrey to freeze up. Not Kel going “wait a minute, is that-” but the sickening sound of creaking, then splintering, then breaking wood. The memory was crystal clear. Kel pitched backwards, his shoulders almost at a right angle to the window before he feebly tried to arch up to grab something. He choked out a cry as his arms flailed as he plummeted down as the cry got louder as he got closer as Aubrey still stood stock still, shocked, terrified, disbelieving, unresponsive, numb, paralysed. Aubrey didn’t remember the next image. It was just pure darkness, with the sickening sound of skull hitting concrete.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._  
Somewhere, in another room, someone was hooked up to a heartrate monitor.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._  
In another room, Kel was unconscious. Maybe dead.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._  
But Aubrey wasn’t there. She was in the waiting room. Just waiting. Only waiting. Fucking waiting.

“Alright. See you soon.” Angel replied. He was a remarkable kid, but he had always been an awful liar. His face was white as a sheet, his hands trembling, his voice cracking. Aubrey could clearly hear Polly’s voice in the other end, calm, but firm. She was in damage-control mode, “Polly’s gonna tell Hero and then she’s gonna… gonna drive right here with Kim.” He explained, sitting down on his seat between Aubrey and Basil. He stared at the doorway next to the hospital reception desk. Waiting. Waiting for anything.

Aubrey’s head was between her legs with her fingers laced overtop, she broke her pose to look up at Angel, nodding, “Thanks…” she murmured. He smiled grimly at her, clapping a hand on her shoulder and rubbing it supportively. Aubrey saw him lace his arm around Basil’s shoulder, pulling the unresponsive kid into a hug. He didn’t look good either, his blond hair was greasy and the sweat on his scalp adhered the messy, thin clumps over his sunken, red eyes. He was sat bolt upright, his hands gripping his knees with white knuckles. No flower in his jacket. A vacancy in his eyes. No desperation, sadness, no anger. Just waiting.

Aubrey’s head sunk between her knees again. She couldn’t look up. The lights were too bright, the ambiance of the hospital pieced her ears despite her knees clamped hard around them. A trolly a couple corridors over, nurses chatting at the reception desk, the buzzing of a fly, or a florescent light, or her own consciousness finally breaking. Aubrey felt like she was tossed into a storm of emotions, but she was in the eye. Everything was so… nothing, she didn’t know what to think, she was just falling. Falling and waiting.

The reception door was thrown open, Aubrey heard the receptionist shout “NO RUNNING!” as hard footsteps clapped across the floor and a voice cried out, 

“Aubrey!” Aubrey looked and immediately staggered up off her chair, practically falling towards Kim. She caught her in a hug that had the full impact of Kim’s sprint behind it. 

“Kim…” she croaked, her pink hair falling over her face.

“Aubrey, god, don’t say anything,”

“I’m so sorry…”

“What did I just say!? Listen, none of this is your fault, this isn’t anyone’s fault, okay?”

“She’s right, you know.” Polly’s voice rang out. Soft, stern, kind Polly stood behind Kim. Aubrey felt her lips curl as she choked out sobs, pushing her head into Kim’s shoulder. She felt her small hand on the back of her head.

“C’mon, let's sit down.” Kim softly ordered.

“Any more news?” Polly asked the group, picking the seat furthest from Basil.

“No… not yet,” Angel almost whispered, “How’s… How’s Hero?”

“He took it about as well as you’d expect. He’s on his way now.” Polly responded, sighing and giving an apologetic wave to the receptionist.

“Oh god, he’s going to kill me…” Aubrey whimpered.

“Not if I have anything to fuckin’ say about it,” Kim warned.

“Listen, we’ll be fine, Hero will understand. It was only a ten-foot drop! Kel just got knocked out.” Polly reassured them all.

“He landed on his neck, Polly.” Aubrey spat through her tears.

“Which is designed to distribute force it receives throughout the body,” she countered, lying.

The door flew open again, “NO RUNNING!” was yelled once more.

“Aubrey! Polly! Basil! What the fuck happened?” Hero cried, his sneakers skidding on the polished hospital floor. The shock of seeing him so breathless, so confused, and the crashing realisation that he didn’t know what happened made Aubrey’s tears come to a screeching halt, “Guys? Angel? Kim?? What happened?? Where’s Kel?”

“He… he fell.” Aubrey stuttered, 

Hero looked at her, confused, reading the guilt on her face instantly. “How…?”

“He was climbing up the back of Basil’s house, trying to reach him.” Angel continued, looking down.

“Why the fuck was he doing that?!” Hero almost shouted,

“He was lonely!” Aubrey cried, “He hadn’t seen Basil in so long and the last time he did they got into a fight! He was desperate!”

“And you were there.” The volume of his voice sunk like an anchor.

Aubrey didn’t respond. 

“You didn’t even CATCH HIM?” He shouted, taking a step towards Aubrey, “You didn’t TELL HIM WHAT A FUCKING STUPID IDEA THAT WAS??” He screamed. 

Aubrey felt a figure appear between them instantly, “HERO!” Polly’s voice snapped through the air like a whip, “If you don’t start calming down right now, you’re gonna be thrown out. Sit down and SHUT UP.” Aubrey looked at Kim with shock and fear, Kim’s eyes were trained on the two, Aubrey wrapped one arm around her chest, knowing if she didn’t, Kim would’ve made sure Hero and Kel had neighbouring rooms in the ward. Angel gave Basil a knowing look, automictically interlacing their fingers. Basil rubbed his eye. 

Hero’s wrath gave way to pure shock, taking a step back. Numbly he crashed back onto the seat. His eyes were unfocused, his mouth slightly agape as he processed everything. He ran his hands through his hair, sitting forward, muttering and murmuring to himself. 

“The uh… Jennings family?” a male voice called from the corner of a room, a short and stout, bespectacled doctor with a puffy white moustache walked towards them. Hero immediately bolted up, his chair clattering to the ground.

“Doctor Newman! Its me, Hero. Please. Let me see Kel.”

The man simply put a hand up, nodding to acknowledge Hero, “Kelsey will be fine, he’s going to stay in the ward for rest and monitoring overnight, but there are no long-lasting injuries apart from a slight tremor for a couple days. Come on, Hero. We’ll go see him now.” The doctor walked calmly back, Hero in hot pursuit.

It felt like the pressure in the entire room was lowered as everyone breathed out a sigh of relief. Basil’s head flopped onto Angel’s shoulder, Polly sunk into a chair, Aubrey sat forward. She couldn’t do this. There was a blur of pink and a clattering sound as the door was thrown open. Like that, Aubrey was gone.

“NO RUN- fuck it…” The receptionist turned away. Both Polly and Kim stood up and looked at each other. Kim looked back at Basil.

“Go on. You go.” Polly nodded thankfully, walking out. Kim bent down and picked up Aubrey’s mobile. Unlocking the passcode and flicking through the contacts, she quickly found ‘s’ and scrolled further down. She hit the green ‘call’ button.

 _Bzzt. Bzzt._ `“Hello? Aubrey? Is everything okay?”`

“Hi Sunny, sorry, It’s Kim. And no. Things are bad. Aubrey really needs you right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D
> 
> Comments are, as always, appreciated! My love to you all!!
> 
> Sunny next.


End file.
